Pertinent Information about Diamonds - Research Paper Example

Diamonds Introduction Diamond is a valuable stone that is made up of a characteristically colorless and clear crystalline type of uncontaminated carbon (Koizumi, Nebel and Nesladek 3). According to Pagel-Theisen (6), diamond may also be defined as a really hard form of carbon that is greatly refractive. The stone, which is normally used as a gemstone, is usually colorless. In terms of mineral hardness, diamond is considered the hardest known natural object (Zaitsev 8). The word diamond was derived from an ancient Greek word, adamas, meaning unalterable or unbreakable. Diamond is one of the most well-known and desired gemstones. Diamonds are usually faced with a lot of issues and controversies. This paper will discuss pertinent information about diamond, such as, how much exists, the amount used, and the amount recycled. The paper will also elaborate on where diamond can be found, who controls it, and why it is important. Common issues related to diamond, its costs, impacts, controversies, and solutions to these controversies will also be outlined in this essay. Historically, diamonds are considered to have been originally discovered and mined in India. Over 6,000 years ago, substantial alluvial deposits of the stone were traced along Godavari, Krishna, and Penner Rivers in India (Koizumi, Nebel and Nesladek 4). Today, it is approximated that close to 130,000,000 carats of diamond are mined every year. This translates to about 26,000 kilograms of diamond being mined annually. Apart from this, it is also estimated that close to 100,000 kilograms of diamonds are synthesized every year (Pagel-Theisen 9). The exact amount of diamonds that exist in the world cannot be accurately established. However, at this current rate of mining and synthesis, the amount of diamonds that exist can be estimated (Zaitsev 10). India has been leading the world in the production of diamond from the time they were discovered there around 9th century BC until mid 18th century AD. This led to the exhaustion of these sources. Diamond began being extracted from primary deposits of lamproites and kimberlites in the 1870s after being discovered in fields, in South Africa. Since then, its production is estimated to have reached 4,500,000,000 carats to date. This is approximately 900,000 kilograms of diamond (Koizumi, Nebel and Nesladek 33). Much of the diamond produced in the world is used for various purposes. A significant amount of diamond is used for industrial applications because of its characteristic high dispersion of light, and its hardness. Another common use of diamond is to make jewelry. Due to its electrical conductivity, diamond is also used as a semiconductor. Most of the diamond produced all over the world is used for these common purposes (Zaitsev 12). It is usually assumed that diamonds are solely fashion accessories. However, they have other numerous applications as stated (Pagel-Theisen 16). It is important to point out that most diamonds can be recycled. Sometimes, when diamonds are mined, not all of them are appropriate for use in making jewelry. This may be because of their size or quality. Such diamonds can be used to coat different cutting tools (Pagel-Theisen 44). This will make those cutting tools more effective because of the hardness of diamond. Tiny flawed diamonds may be used in other areas such as computing and optics. This shows that diamonds can be safely recycled by themselves. When glued to other parts for various uses, diamonds must be separated from these toxic parts before being recycled (Zaitsev 15). There are some cases whereby diamond cannot be recycled. These include instances where diamond was used in industries to grind other things, and it eventually turns into dust. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), in 2003, 4.9 million carats of industrially used diamond was recycled (Koizumi, Nebel and Nesladek 30). Diamonds are also being recycled through recutting and resetting. It is estimated that 49% of diamonds in the world come from Southern and Central Africa, from countries such as Ghana, Namibia, Angola, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Botswana (Zaitsev 46). However, significant sources of diamond also exist in Australia, Brazil, Russia, India, and Canada. Even though diamond was not originally discovered in Canada, the country boasts of being the first to fully delve into diamond exploration. This was just after the 1960 before other significant discoveries were made in the 1980s (Koizumi, Nebel and Nesladek 26). This led Canada to have diamond mines that produced the largest amount of diamonds in the world back then. Today, Botswana is the world’s largest producer of rough diamonds, followed by Russia, and Canada. Brazil also produces diamond at a significant rate (Pagel-Theisen 40). The diamond market in the world has remained relatively steady since the Second World War. A company known as De Beers is said to own close to 80% of the diamond markets in the world. Virtually, this puts the company in control of supply and demand of diamond (Koizumi, Nebel and Nesladek 28). Practically, De Beers monopolizes the diamond industry in the world. This gives the company the ability to fluctuate the production of diamond. For this reason, it is illegal for the company to operate in the United States. De Beers estimates that 160 million carats of diamond are produced annually all over the world. These diamonds are said to be worth about $ 12 billion (Pagel-Theisen 96). Controlling the market in this way is important because it provides for accountability and reduces the chances of cartels taking over the industry. Diamonds may have negative impacts on the environment if they are not recycled properly, or if they are recycled without separating them from toxic parts that they were attached to for industrial use (Zaitsev 52). There are a lot if issues that are attached to diamonds. These issues end up bringing controversies in the diamond industry. For example, in west and central African countries that are not very politically stable, diamond mines are controlled by revolutionary groups. These groups use the profits they make from trading in diamonds to finance their dealings. The diamonds that are traded through such processes are usually known as blood or conflict diamonds. Many diamond trading firms are responsible for funding these conflicts as long as they continue to trade with the armed groups. Conflict diamonds are easily smuggled across borders, especially in Africa (Pagel-Theisen 105). One solution to the controversy in the diamond industry is to bring an end to the businesses being done by diamond corporations and armed groups. Another solution is the Kimberly process that was introduced by the United Nations in 2002 to eliminate human rights abuses and war. This process is aimed at ensuring that conflict diamonds and clean diamonds do not mix. Countries that produce diamonds are required to prove that they do not use the money from trading diamonds to fuel conflicts (Koizumi, Nebel and Nesladek 50). Works Cited Koizumi, S., Nebel, C.E., and Nesladek, M. Physics and Applications of CVD Diamond. New York: Wiley, 2008. Print. Pagel-Theisen, Verena. Diamond Grading ABC: the Manual. Antwerp: Rubin & Son, 2001. Print. Zaitsev, A.M. Optical Properties of Diamond: A Data Handbook. New York: Springer, 2001. Print. Read More