Diamonds are synonymous with jewelry. Anytime we think diamond, we think ring, necklace, or bracelet. This is because diamonds are commonly used in these types of pieces because they are beautiful and add significant value. According to Science.com, most of the world’s diamond supply is actually mined for industrial purposes, whereas only about a quarter of diamonds are used for fine jewelry.
Remember, diamonds score a 10 on the Mohs scale, which means that it is rated as the strongest substance on earth. The only thing that can cut a diamond is another diamond. Which is why it’s no surprise that a wide range of industries use diamonds in their products and tools. For example, look at drilling. According to Diamondrocks.co.uk, most industrial drills need to be able to drill through layers of hard rock. This means that drill manufacturers have to find a way to make their drills optimal.
Industrial Drilling
One way to do this is to create a drill tip that is either entirely made out of diamonds, which is then used for oil drilling and obtaining core samples. And the other way to do this is to incorporate diamonds into circular saws which are used to cut through rock, such as marble and granite. It’s important to note that these tools are specially made to fit a specific task and that the constant mining of diamonds is done for this purpose.
Drilling into earth isn’t the only type of drilling that uses diamonds drills.
Dental Tools
Have you ever had a cavity or needed a root canal? Well, dentists also use drills that have diamond tips too. This is because having diamond tip drills can help with drilling to teeth, which are pretty tough in their own right. According to diamondrocks.co.uk, the diamond tips are usually bonded to the drill to help with efficiency and safety. This is because if a dental drill didn’t have diamond incorporated into it, it would be more likely to break while drilling into your tooth. Next time you’re at your dentist, check out the tools that are being used, depending on the procedure you’re having you might see some of those diamond tools glint in the light.
Computers
According to Wired.com, gold is common in modern computers because it’s less susceptible to corrosion. But, some scientists believe that diamonds are the next frontier to the commonly used silicon. This is because a diamond semiconductor is capable of fitting into smaller and faster devices. Not only is it more malleable, but it can also run five times much hotter without affecting performance. Once this becomes more widely adopted, it will be able to deliver one million times more electrical conduction when compared to silicon.
Speakers & Record Needles
High quality speakers are a must for listening to music. There are some brands who believe that building speaker domes with diamonds makes for a better listening experience, because they can be used at a loud volume without warping the woofer. Record needles on vinyl record players also use diamonds, well, at least the high-quality one do. This is because diamond record needles allow for higher quality playback and can last longer than a traditional record needle.
Diamonds have a range of uses, many of which are outside the jewelry industry.
We challenge you to take a look around and see where else you can find diamonds.