2007-02-17 04:21:20 · 6 answers · asked by Rowie 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Several methods.
The oldest is by cleaving. A diamond is very hard but it is brittle and has well defined fracture (cleavage) planes. It can by fractured along these planes by a sharp blow with a fine edged chisel. The advantage of this method is that it is fast. The disadvantages is that you can only cut along the planes defined by the crystal structure of the diamond, so your shapes are limited. It is also a highly skilled act and a mistake will destroy the diamond leaving you with useless broken pieces, a very real and expensive risk.
Using diamond dust(bort) as an abrasive for grinding. (there is a recent synthetic abrasive that is much harder than diamond, it is very expensive and the only use for it is cutting diamonds). Cutting by grinding is slow but cheap power and automatic machines make that much less of a problem than if you had to do it manually.
Lasers. Usually just used for etching a brand onto a finished diamond. It tends to produce etched looking surfaces, is not fast and generates heat in the stone. If it was actually used for cutting a laser would risk fracturing the stone along crystal planes or flaws and imperfections in the stone like gas or liquid inclusions.
Almost all diamonds are cut by grinding, for reasons of cost and because of reduced risk of damage. Slicing is done by using a very thin edged diamond saw and normaly everything is cooled by water to avoid heat building up and fracturing the stone.
2007-02-17 04:59:20 · answer #1 · answered by U-98 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Method and apparatus for cutting diamond
Abstract: A wire is used to cut or slice diamond by passing the wire rapidly and under light load over and into the diamond surface along a line to be cut. In one form of the invention, the wire comprises a metal that dissolves diamond, such as iron or nickel and the wire and/or diamond is preferably heated to approach the metal-carbon eutectic temperature and create sensible reaction rates of the carbon on the wire surface. In another form of the invention, the moving wire carries a molten oxidant to enhance the cutting rate. The molten oxidant may be, for example, sodium nitrate, which oxidizes carbon.
2007-02-17 04:28:10 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Other diamonds
2007-02-17 04:24:18 · answer #3 · answered by hcbiochem 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually, it is other diamonds! At least this is the proper way to do it!
2007-02-17 04:25:45 · answer #4 · answered by CurlyLocks 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
most likely a laser
2007-02-17 04:24:34 · answer #5 · answered by SweetStuff 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a laser.
2007-02-17 04:28:21 · answer #6 · answered by chicago cub's bat bunny 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋