Scientists have finally unraveled the mystery of lonsdaleite, a type of super diamond that has puzzled them for years due to its properties unlike anything found on Earth.
According to Science Alert, the super diamond lonsdaleite can only form during a truly catastrophic event in interplanetary space. It has a structure composed of carbon atoms with four tightly bonded electrons, making the entire structure strong enough to create one of the hardest crystals on Earth.
A meteorite fragment containing super diamond that fell to Earth – (Photo: PNAS)
The crystal structure of lonsdaleite also perfectly preserves the hexagonal shape of graphite, enhancing the material’s hardness and making it “superior” to Earth diamonds. They are extremely rare—only a few tiny specimens, as thin as human hair, have been found.
Now, a team of scientists has successfully traced the origin of lonsdaleite diamonds found in rare gemstone meteorite samples known as urelite.
“There is strong evidence suggesting a newly discovered diamond formation process for both lonsdaleite and conventional diamonds, similar to a type of chemical vapor deposition that occurred in meteorites during a catastrophic collision between two planets,” explained microscopic scientist Dougal McCulloch from RMIT University in Australia.
Urelite has also been identified as debris from a shattered dwarf planet, with some pieces making their way to Earth. The super diamond found in urelite meteorite fragments is primarily encased in graphite.
Remarkably, the chemical vapor deposition process can be replicated in the lab—meaning humans have the potential to mimic the creation of this super diamond under suitable conditions right here on Earth.
According to geologist Andy Tomkins from Monash University in Australia, super diamonds could be used in the manufacture of extremely small, ultra-hard machine parts to replace graphite components in the most advanced machinery. There may come a time when people propose with rings featuring this “cosmic treasure”.
The research has just been published in the scientific journal PNAS.
