Carbon was known in ancient civilizations, e.g., Egyptian (existing from about 5,000 years) and Roman (lasting about 2,500 years), in the forms of soot and charcoal. Diamonds were known in China about 2500 BC. Carbon as diamond has the highest thermal conductivity of all materials, poor electrical conductivity, is transparent, and the hardest of natural substances. Diamond is hard and coarse, so it’s highly abrasive. Carbon atom in a diamond has covalent bonds with four other carbons; it means each carbon atom bonds to four other carbon atoms, which makes tetrahedrons that form hexagonal rings; this makes diamond extremely strong. Of the mined diamonds, 80% (20 tons annually) are for industrial use and are unsuitable as gemstones; additionally from the 1950s, 80 tons of synthetic diamonds are produced annually. Synthetic nano crystalline diamond is the hardest material known (Irifune, Kurio, Sakamoto, Inoue, & Sumiya, 2003).

Fatima Chavez – Diamond T-shirt

Rachel Avramenko “Carbon Graphic”

Teddy Asuncion

Brenna Aldrich “Diamond”

Diana Kim “Carbonwords”