[meteorite-list] diamonds in Canyon Diablo

From: James Tobin <jimmypaul_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun May 2 20:32:21 2004
Message-ID: <006d01c430a5$63805b70$4627e804_at_Jimscomputer>

Dear List,
Bernd is usually the one with the early resources for topics that arrise on
the list. But, I happen to have this one on hand so I will share it.

one of the very first discriptions of diamonds in meteorites was:

American Journal of Science and Arts
Volume 46; 1893
pages 470-473 On the Diamond in the Canon Diablo Meteroic Iron and on the
hardness of Carborundum. by G. F. Kunz.

It is really quite a fascinating discription of both the occurance of the
diamonds their discovery in the irons and of the chemical means used to
extract them in those early days from the meteorite.
The first creation of carborundum had only just been made and there is also
a short discussion of how it was determined that the small crystals found in
the meteorites were harder than the carborundum.

They actually used the material extracted from the meteoritic iron at
Tiffany's to cut and polish some surfaces on natural diamonds.

All of this only a year or so after the first test pieces of Canyon Diablo
were available.

Have a great weekend, Jim Tobin
Received on Sun 02 May 2004 08:25:24 PM PDT