Industrial diamonds are used for such a wide variety of purposes that a sudden shortage would cause havoc in many branches of manufacture and mining. This is because diamonds, as well as being the most brilliant and precious of stones, are also one of the hardest materials known to man.
Their earliest use in industry was as an abrasive powder for sawing and polishing operations and for grinding metal-cutting tools. Bort, which is the cheapest form of industrial diamond, is crushed into different grades for such purposes.
Many kinds of arils use diamonds as cutters. The introduction of the carbonados or black diamond’s of Brazil-Less brittle than other forms-greatly improved rock drilling for geological and mine prospecting. But they have become so scarce that other suitable varieties have had to be substituted. Fine wires, like those needed for electric lamp filaments, are produced by pulling the metal through diamond drawing dies.
Diamonds are also employed for cutting glass and porcelain, for fine engraving, for dental surgery, and for bearing in watches.
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