Microdiamond. Coloured scanning electron microg- raph (SEM) of an octahedral microdiamond crystal from Siberia, Russia. This the most common shape tak

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Microdiamond. Coloured scanning electron microg- raph (SEM) of an octahedral microdiamond crystal from Siberia, Russia. This the most common shape taken by microdiamonds. Microdiamonds are diamonds (pure crystals of carbon) which measure less than half a millimetre in any dimension. They are being studied as an alternative to the more expensive larger diamonds used in industry, for instance as abrasives or heat dissipators. Microdiamonds are thought to form either with larger diamonds in the Earth's mantle (the layer beneath the crust), or in the ascending magma (molten rock) that can bring the larger stones to the surface. Magnification: x224 6x7cm size. x380 at 4x5 inch size.

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Size: 3072px × 2244px
Photo credit: © DAVID SCHARF/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: carbon, chemical, chemistry, coloured, crystalline, diamond, element, geography, geology, microdiamond, mineralogy, octahedral, octahedron, russian, sem, siberian