 |
|
Diamond conference at the Goethe University
August 12, 2008The science of diamonds and their inclusions
From the 10 to 15 August, the casino on the Westend Campus will become the worldwide centre for diamond researchers from industry and academia. During this time, the mineralogists from the GeoZentrum of the Goethe University will host the 9th International Kimberlite Conference, which is the most important meeting related to this unique gemstone. Kimberlite Conferences have been held in a 4‐5 year cycle for more than 30 years, usually in a diamond‐producing country. Even though Germany has no economic diamond deposits, an international committee decided that the conference should be held in Frankfurt. Their decision was no doubt related to the high level of scientific expertise and the international reputation of a number of members of the GeoZentrum.
The worldwide significance of this conference is demonstrated by the participation of nearly 500 researchers from academia and industry from over 37 countries. About 5 % of the participants are based at universities in Germany.
Diamonds are not only fascinating gemstones. Diamonds are also renown for their unique physical properties such as their extreme hardness and their high conductivity of heat. For geoscientists, the fascination is quite different. During their growth at depths greater than 150 km, diamonds often incorporate pieces of neighbouring minerals. Such "inclusions" lower a diamond's value as a gemstone, but represent a treasure trove for geoscientists. Kimberlite magma (which produces a particular volcanic rock) acts as an elevator to transport diamonds to the Earth's surface from great depths. The diamonds serve as the packaging that brings the minerals as inclusions to us from depths exceeding 670 km. So what do geoscientists do with diamonds? They break them apart to get at the inclusions. Such studies provide us with information about the conditions and dynamics of the deep Earth. This knowledge is in turn essential in the search for new diamond deposits, which explains the symbiosis between industry and science that the Kimberlite Conference represents.
The search for diamonds is as intense as ever. Strong growth in demand is being driven by the rapid economic development of the developing countries, like India and China. As a result, diamond production will remain an important economic factor for a number of countries including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Russia, Australia and Canada. Together with basic scientific research, improvements in the search for diamonds and the exploitation of diamond resources are central themes of the Kimberlite Conference. As a result, it is not surprising that more than half of the conference presentations and participants are from industry. The worldwide leading mining companies such as Rio Tinto, De Beers and BHP Billiton are all represented.
Holding the 9th International Kimberlite Conference in Frankfurt also has an interesting historical twist: the success story of De Beers had its beginning near Frankfurt. Ernest Oppenheimer, the founder of the diamond cartel, was born in nearby Friedberg on 22 May 1880 and lived there until he was 16 years old.
Goethe University Frankfurt
Diamonds are not only fascinating gemstones. Diamonds are also renown for their unique physical properties such as their extreme hardness and their high conductivity of heat. For geoscientists, the fascination is quite different. During their growth at depths greater than 150 km, diamonds often incorporate pieces of neighbouring minerals. Such "inclusions" lower a diamond's value as a gemstone, but represent a treasure trove for geoscientists. Kimberlite magma (which produces a particular volcanic rock) acts as an elevator to transport diamonds to the Earth's surface from great depths. The diamonds serve as the packaging that brings the minerals as inclusions to us from depths exceeding 670 km. So what do geoscientists do with diamonds? They break them apart to get at the inclusions. Such studies provide us with information about the conditions and dynamics of the deep Earth. This knowledge is in turn essential in the search for new diamond deposits, which explains the symbiosis between industry and science that the Kimberlite Conference represents.
The search for diamonds is as intense as ever. Strong growth in demand is being driven by the rapid economic development of the developing countries, like India and China. As a result, diamond production will remain an important economic factor for a number of countries including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Russia, Australia and Canada. Together with basic scientific research, improvements in the search for diamonds and the exploitation of diamond resources are central themes of the Kimberlite Conference. As a result, it is not surprising that more than half of the conference presentations and participants are from industry. The worldwide leading mining companies such as Rio Tinto, De Beers and BHP Billiton are all represented.
Holding the 9th International Kimberlite Conference in Frankfurt also has an interesting historical twist: the success story of De Beers had its beginning near Frankfurt. Ernest Oppenheimer, the founder of the diamond cartel, was born in nearby Friedberg on 22 May 1880 and lived there until he was 16 years old.
Goethe University Frankfurt
Science News and Science Current Events Tag Cloud
This tag cloud is a visual representation of term frequencies of random science news topics with common terms grouped together and emphasized by their display size.
Extrasolar Planets Sleep Duration Venus Neutrinos Glucose Levels Bisphosphonates Postmenopausal Pollution Helicobacter pylori Sleep Apnea Tumor White Blood Cells Gene Mutation Diabetic Retinopathy Electrons Fat Cells Nutrition Syphilis Micrornas Virus Viral Infection Parkinson’s Disease Second-hand Smoke Biomolecules Stroke Risk
See More: Science News Tags
Diamond Current Events and Diamond News RSSComposites for energy
Advanced composite materials are playing a vital role in improved design and reduced operating costs for renewable energy technologies.
IUPUI study finds living near fast food outlet not a weighty problem for kids
A new study by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) researchers contradicts the conventional wisdom that living near a fast food outlet increases weight in children and that living near supermarkets, which sell fresh fruit and vegetables as well as so called junk food, lowers weight.
New study closes in on geologic history of Earth's deep interior
By using a super-computer to virtually squeeze and heat iron-bearing minerals under conditions that would have existed when the Earth crystallized from an ocean of magma to its solid form 4.5 billion years ago, two UC Davis geochemists have produced the first picture of how different isotopes of iron were initially distributed in the solid Earth.
Caltech scientists use high-pressure 'alchemy' to create nonexpanding metals
By squeezing a typical metal alloy at pressures hundreds of thousands of times greater than normal atmospheric pressure, scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have created a material that does not expand when heated, as does nearly every normal metal, and acts like a metal with an entirely different chemical composition.
New Tool for Next-Generation Cancer Treatments using Nanodiamonds
A research team at Northwestern University has demonstrated a tool that can precisely deliver tiny doses of drug-carrying nanomaterials to individual cells.
New element found to be a superconductor
Of the 92 naturally occurring elements, add another to the list of those that are superconductors.
System that regulates blood pressure is amiss in some healthy, young blacks
When stress increases blood pressure, a natural mechanism designed to bring it down by excreting more salt in the urine doesn't work well in about one-third of healthy, black adolescents, researchers report.
How do they spread?
Propagation of earthquake waves within the Earth is not uniform. Experiments indicate that the velocity of shear waves (s-waves) in Earth's lower mantle between 660 and 2900 km depth is strongly dependent on the orientation of ferropericlase.
Cellular discovery may lead to targeted treatment for rare form of anemia
University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have identified the specific biological mechanisms believed to lead to a rare and incurable blood disease known as Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA). Scientists say with further investigation, their discoveries could result in drastic changes to current thinking about treatment for this disease and may lead to promising new drug therapies.
Tiny 'Lab-on-a-Chip' Can Detect Pollutants, Disease and Biological Weapons
For centuries, animals have been our first line of defense against toxins. A canary in a coalmine served as a living monitor for poisonous gases. Scientists used fish to test for contaminants in our water. Even with modern advances, though, it can take days to detect a fatal chemical or organism.
More Diamond Current Events and Diamond News Articles
 |
14k White Gold, Round, Diamond Stud Earrings (1/2 cttw, J-K Color, I2-I3 Clarity) by Amazon.com Collection Add a touch of class to your wardrobe with these genuine diamond stud earrings. This versatile pair features round diamonds (1/2 cttw) cradled in four-prong settings of radiant and durable 14 karat white gold. The white gold setting complements the diamonds beautifully. The perfect accent for day or night, these earrings are set on posts with friction backs. |
 |
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond (Author) In his runaway bestseller Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond brilliantly examined the circumstances that allowed Western civilizations to dominate much of the world. Now he probes the other side of the equation: What caused some of the great civilizations of the past to fall into ruin, and what can we learn from their fates? Using a vast historical and geographical perspective ranging from Easter Island and the Maya to Viking Greenland and modern Montana, Diamond traces a fundamental pattern of environmental catastrophe—one whose warning signs can be seen in our modern world and that we ignore at our peril. Blending the most recent scientific advances into a narrative that is impossible to put down, Collapse exposes the deepest mysteries of the past even as it offers... |
 |
14k White Gold, Princess-Cut, Diamond Classic 4-Prong Pendant (1/10 cttw, J-K Color, I2-I3 Clarity) by Amazon.com Collection A classic diamond pendant makes a beautiful gift. A jewelry wardrobe staple, it looks right with any outfit and will never go out of style. This elegant pendant highlights a single princess-cut diamond, with a weight of 1/10 carat, showcased in a 4-prong basket setting of 14 karat white gold. A polished split bale secures the diamond to an 18-inch white gold rope chain that fastens with a spring ring clasp. |
 |
Diamond: The History of a Cold-Blooded Love Affair by Matthew Hart (Author) For centuries, diamonds have symbolized wealth, prestige and love; however, behind those symbols lies a world of deceit, monopoly and war. Hart follows the diamond trail around the globe, from the basement room where Gabi Tolkowsky, the world's greatest diamond cutter, faced the 599-carat Centenary diamond, to the fogbound smugglers' paradise of Africa's Diamond Coast. He records the heroic struggle of the 24-year old woman who discovered a multibillion dollar diamond mine on the Arctic Circle and describes the company that feared her most, masterminds of the great and shadowy diamond cartel. Combining history, science, business, and adventure, Diamond captures the essence of this priceless gem and the world that surrounds it. |
 |
Three Stone Round Brilliant Diamond Ring 1/3ctw (GH/I1) in 14K White Gold -Size 7 by Diamond-Me |
 |
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond (Author) With a new chapter. The phenomenal bestseller—over 1.5 million copies sold—is now a major PBS special. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Guns, Germs, and Steel is a brilliant work answering the question of why the peoples of certain continents succeeded in invading other continents and conquering or displacing their peoples. This edition includes a new chapter on Japan and all-new illustrations drawn from the television series. 32 illustrations. |
 |
Certified Diamond (Round, Very Good cut, 4.01 carats, E color, VVS1 clarity) by Amazon.com Collection |
 |
Bulova Women's Sport Marine Star Diamond Watch #96R000 by Bulova Corporation The Bulova Women's Sport Marine Star Diamond Watch #96R000 is a luxurious take on the diving watch, with superior, ultra-durable build and sumptuous details -- not least of which are the 16 genuine diamonds. Luminous indices and hands make for easy and accurate timekeeping on the square silver dial, which also sports a unique, wavy-patterned background, as well as three subdials with chronograph functionality. The brushed, polished stainless steel, silver-tone bezel bracelet, and case offer handsome durability. Like every Bulova watch, this one is built to last with top-quality materials, anti-magnetic and shock-resistant construction, and the unique, scratch-resistant Dura-Crystal. It is powered by Japanese-quartz movement and is water resistant to 330 feet. |
 |
Pokemon - Diamond Version by Nintendo Pok mon Diamond takes you into the new Sinnoh region, where two unique Pokemon are symbols. The Dialga and Palkia appear in myths and old folklore; legends say they can control space and time. The sinister organization called Team Galaxy is trying to rule the region by capturing and training thes Pokemon. During your adventure to complete your Pokedex and become Champion, these Pokemon & Team Galaxy will intertwine into the story and lead you on a fantastic journey across the Sinnoh region. |
 |
The Diamond Sutra The Diamond Sutra has fascinated Buddhists for centuries because of its insights into dualism and illusion; the "diamond" can cut through any obstacle on the road to enlightenment. This is a useful and beautiful translation of one of Buddhism's central texts. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |