Gotta Have Diamonds!

Take a chunk of carbon, put it under a million tons of pressure for a few million years (and add some heat) and you'll get a diamond. Since most of us don't have a few million years to wait we'll have to settle for the man made variety or buying natural diamonds from Mondera.com.

Well, ok, calling a diamond a chunk of carbon is a little like calling the Ferrari Enzo a car. Technically accurate, but it kind of misses the point, dont you think?

Diamonds are a woman's best friend, the hardest substance known, superb for certain electronics applications, and more transparent than glass. They come, naturally, in a variety of colors, yellow being the most common and clear "white" the best known.

Other colors of diamond are very rare, unless treated in the lab. The Hope Diamond is a blue violet color, flawless, and about the size of a small chicken egg. How'd you like to have that as the centerpiece for your crown or scepter?

Build your own Diamond Ring:

More on Diamonds

• Diamonds 1
• Herkimer Diamonds