Less than a half of diamonds mined every year are actually in gem quality; the rest are either "near-gem" quality or "industrial quality" diamonds. Industrial grade diamonds are the gems that do not have much aesthetic value in them, so they're used in a much more practical application compared to others. Let us take a look at some examples.
The market of industrial quality diamonds are often different compared to its gem counterparts, since aesthetic gemstones are priced based on the 4c's – cut, color, clarity and carat. These four factors do not really matter when it comes to industrial applications. Industrial diamonds are valued mostly for their hardness and thermal conductivity. Synthetic diamonds are oftentimes found with too much imperfection, they are often used for industrial applications. Synthetic diamonds, by the way, are diamonds that are "made" inside a laboratory – meaning it is not found as a naturally-occurring diamond.
Diamond Windows
Diamond windows are made from very thin diamond membranes and are often used to cover openings in lasers, x-ray machines and vacuum chambers. With the use of diamonds, these windows remain clear and transparent, while remaining very durable and resistant to heat and abrasion. Typically, they are used as exit windows for high-powered lasers.
High-grade speaker domes
Indeed, even expensive speakers have them. Diamonds are used on the sound domes in order to prevent deformation that may degrade the sound quality when it's vibrating rapidly. It also helps produce a much clearer sound compared to domes made of other materials.
Diamonds as Heat sinks
Diamonds, due to them having a high thermal conductivity, are used as "heat sinks" to absorb heat from heat-sensitive parts of any electronic circuitry.
Cutters and drills
Ever heard the fact that the only thing that can cut a diamond is also a diamond? Well most industrial, high-grade cutters are actually made of diamonds. These include military-grade concrete cutters, scalpels, drill bits, grinders, and saws! Even items that are used to polish diamonds displayed in those online diamond stores are also made of diamonds.
Electronics
It's not just about being a heat sink anymore. In the near future, scientists actually predict that diamond chips will soon replace silicone chips when it comes to electronics – especially computers, since it will eliminate the overheating problem on computer processors
It's surprising how something can be both beautiful and quite useful in so many ways. Hopefully, we'll be able to reserve this amazing mineral for years to come. Diamond is indeed the ultimate gemstone.
