"Ryan...why the hell do we cut them then? If they are more valuable uncut?"

The average rough diamond is to large for one piece of jewelry.

In general they are cut due to size, to remove imperfections and because people are attracted to geometrical shapes. I don't know if you've ever seen an uncut diamond, they are not especially pretty. The average diamond goes through several procedures...polishing, cutting...(in some cases into multiple stones)...and finally shaping before going into jewelery.

diamonds don't make rainbows if they ain't cut at the right angle.

Maybe it's just the geologist in me, but I actually prefer minerals in their natural crystal habit more often than not.



Besides, since everyone else is so into diamonds, I prefer other things, such as olivine (peridot) or garnets. But you're right about why they cut them.

I'm with you Professor Chaos, not especially fond of diamonds. Always liked amethyst though ever since I was a kid and found a piece that had some kind of yellow and black bug in it.

Hahaha, yeah, I love amethyst. Smoky quartz is my favorite variety of quartz, though. A bug, you say? You sure it wasn't amber, or something else? 'Cause unless someone drilled a hole in the amethyst and put it there, it's hard to get a bug in a mineral that crystalizes at a temperature that would incinerate a bug.... I suppose there's the chance the quartz was in solution, and formed around a fossil of some sort? I'm curious about your bug, now. :)

Diamonds failed the "will it blend?" test.

And Ryan,
Be sure to extract dinosaur DNA from it :)

yep, quite certain it was a bug. slightly larger than a very large flea, similar in shape too. It has 3 black stripes and 2 yellow.

Diamonds are great. Not for their appliance in jewelry (I care not about baubles, they are... inefficient), but for their interesting material properties.

yeah, I have. They are pretty of sorts but not as the cut stones. I think we are saying the same thing here ryan. thx for taking it out of the previous post, it is better here:)

I like Opals, the fiery looks always get to me