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with all technology, Diamonds are still the hardest commonly available substance known
(there are some new materials found in meteorites that may be
harder). While we think of diamonds having a hardness of 10 and Sapphire 8 1/2, the difference is actually much greater. When true hardness is measured by an instrument called a Sklerometer, diamond rates 1000, a sapphire a mere 140.
A Diamond can be worn for many lifetimes with no sign of wear; however they are susceptible to chipping and even cracking. In fact, jade is the most "durable" gem.
It takes more than 500,000 pounds of ore to yield a high quality rough crystal capable of producing a fine quality 1 carat gem and ten years of training and practice to be able to cut one properly.
Diamonds occur in almost every color, from white to yellow, brown, green and blue, red, and even pure black. The rarest of colors is red, with hot pink a close second.
Most diamonds are mined in Africa, with Australia the second largest commercial source. Diamonds are also mined in Russia and in the new Ekati mines on Canada. You can search for diamonds yourself in Murfreesboro, Arkansas in the national park.
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