Diamonds are some of the most interesting minerals out there and are the
April birthstone. Not only have they been found on earth, but also on asteroids. In South America scientists are finding diamonds (called carbonado) from an asteroid impact that happened over 3 billion years ago! The first discovery of the diamond can be traced back to India over 3-6 thousand years ago. Diamonds have been worn by kings for thousands of years as a symbol of strength and courage. Warriors have embedded diamonds in to their armor to protect them. Lastly, diamonds were even thought to have been tear drops from gods. Coisidently, diamonds are the hardest known mineral on earth.
Not surprisingly, it's used for saw blades and grinders due to its durability. Bort, a type of a diamond that is unusable for use in the jewelry industry is used to make these blades. In fact, up to 80% of diamond mining is Bort and used for industrial purposes. For all these reasons it's no wonder the diamond industry is a $9 billion a year business.
