A recipe for growing your own diamond may seem a bit complicated, time-consuming and quite expensive. It may be easier to head to a local jewelry store or mall to purchase a diamond outright. But if you are determined to do it yourself you will begin by placing pure carbon under 435,113 pounds per square inch of pressure at a temperature of 752 degrees. This is best achieved at approximately 100 miles below the Earth’s surface. You must be sure that the pressure and temperature are just right or your recipe will fail and you may end up with plain old graphite.Next you will leave the carbon in this state for approximately one million years. When locating your carbon be sure it is in an area volcanic activity where fractures in the Earth will allow for magma eruptions. At the boiling point the magma will burst through the fracture, creating a kimberlite pipe and showering diamonds and many other minerals and rocks in the area surround the pipe and back into the pipe itself. A crater may form and in a short -period of time you will be able to enjoy your freshly made diamonds. They must be allowed to cool completely inside the kimberlite pipe, or alternately you may leave the diamonds in the pipe until geological activity and the effects of glacier movement and weather cause a deterioration of the pipe and depositing your diamonds in riverbeds where you may gather them later. This is less likely to result in a large batch of diamonds returning to you as many people know how to make diamonds and also where to find them.

If you would like to test the quality of your recipe you may begin by testing the hardness of the diamond. If it can only be scratched by another diamond then you are successful. Diamonds’ chemical structure, though they are made only from carbon, is a collection of molecules and atoms in a remarkably strong configuration. It is the strength of diamonds that makes it one of the most common materials used for cutting and etching blades. It is also the remarkable strength of diamonds that gave them their name from the ancient Greeks – “adamas,” meaning invincible and “damao,” meaning to overpower.

Next, you will need to carve your diamond properly. There are special techniques and tools involved in cutting a diamond. Begin by cutting it into a manageable size, this is called “cleaving” and will break a stone into two pieces. This requires you to locate the weak point of the stone, set it into a wax or cement mold to hold it fast, an initial groove will then be cut and finally a sharp steel blade finishes the job of cutting it in two.

If a weak point cannot be located on the stone, “sawing” will be required. This can be done with a laser, or a phosphor-bronze blade rotating at 15,000 rpm. Once this step is completed you must move on to “cutting or bruiting” the diamond.

“Cutting and bruiting” a diamond gives it its shape, but only round and oval stones can be cut, the bruiting technique of rubbing two diamonds together is required when fancy-shape diamonds like pear, marquise and emerald are desired.

Finally you will “polish” your diamond using a polishing wheel and diamond powder.

A final analysis of your recipe for making a diamond can be achieved by using what is commonly referred to as the “four Cs“. These are cut, clarity, carat and color. Most diamonds do not reach commercial vendors because they fail one or more of the “four Cs” and instead are used for various industrial purposes. The cut of your diamond should bring out its natural sparkle and should be nicely proportioned. The clarity of your stone should be the highest level possible; hopefully your diamond is “flawless“. Your stone should be weighed, and the result will be a measure called a “carat” – one carat will equal 200 milligrams. Finally there is “color,” and currently there is a trend for natural color stones, so don’t worry if there is a hue to your diamond. Should you have been fortunate enough to create a red diamond you will find many people expressing interest in your stone.

You will find that others will also judge your diamond for its transparency and luster. It is difficult to achieve a colorless diamond, which would allow for transparency, and as previously stated, some of the highest valued gems today, and throughout history, are those with color. For example, the legendary “Hope Diamond” is a lovely shade of sapphire blue.

Now is the time for presentation of your recipe. Select an appropriate setting, many choose silver or platinum setting for a diamond to better reflect its brilliance and sparkle, but a gold setting is perfectly acceptable. Apply the jewelry to your hand, neck or ears and display it proudly.

Other articles of interest:

• Diamonds Hold a Popular Place in History
• Diamonds Can Play an Instrumental Role in Science and Biology
• The History of Diamonds
• Appreciating the Symbolism of the Diamond