Scientists have unexpectedly created a glow-in-the-dark gemstone whose hardness even surpasses that of diamond.

Category: Company News

Release date: 2018-03-20

Summary: Scientists have discovered a new carbon-based material that can form diamond-like crystals and surpass diamonds in both hardness and yield. This novel synthetic gemstone is magnetic and can emit a glow in the dark. The crystal was identified by a research team at the University of North Carolina, who have named the new material “Q-carbon.” The researchers stumbled upon it while testing a rapid method for producing synthetic diamonds. During the experiment, they directed laser pulses at a piece of ancient carbon, heating it until it melted into a gel-like substance. As this liquid cooled rapidly,

Scientists have discovered a new carbon-based material that can form diamond-like crystals and surpass diamonds in both hardness and yield. This novel synthetic gemstone is magnetic and can emit a glow in the dark.
This crystalline material was discovered by a research team at the University of North Carolina, who have dubbed it “Q-carbon.” The researchers stumbled upon it while testing a new method for rapidly synthesizing synthetic diamonds.
During their experiments, scientists fired laser beams at an ancient piece of carbon, heating it until it melted into a gel-like substance. As this liquid cooled rapidly, it unexpectedly crystallized into another diamond‑like form, exhibiting unusual new properties.
“The only places in nature where such Q‑carbon crystals are likely to be found are probably the cores of certain planets,” said Jagdish Narayan, the lead author of the study. Q‑carbon diamonds are stronger and denser than conventional diamonds, owing to the tighter atomic bonds formed during rapid heating and cooling.
They exhibit magnetism even at room temperature, a highly unusual property among solid carbon materials, and can even emit faint fluorescence—features that may hold promise for a variety of applications in the electronics field. The heating and cooling techniques used to synthesize Q‑carbon diamonds are far more rapid than the natural formation process of diamonds. Natural diamonds form deep within Earth’s mantle, hundreds of kilometers below the surface, under extreme pressure and high temperatures, over the course of billions of years.

Keywords: Scientists have unexpectedly created a glow-in-the-dark gemstone whose hardness even surpasses that of diamond.

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