Yes, diamonds burn. There are many substantiated insurance claims of diamonds being destroyed in fires. As far as I know, the bit about no ash remaining is theoretical. Being pure carbon, the combustion of diamond does produce CO2. But just how many absolutely pure diamonds are there? Any color in diamonds is produced by non-carbon impurities. In addition to the oxygen which takes up residence on the surface of a diamond (attaching itself almost automatically to the free molecular bonding sites), most diamonds are at least partially nitrogenated.
So, technically, if you have a non-nitrogenated, flawless, pure-white diamond, you can turn it into CO2 with the application of heat. But who would want to?
Boy, isn’t a CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics a handy thing to have around?
PeKaatjeAnkeveen, North Holland Netherlands6,334 posts
Diamonds are a girls best friend, so any man who gives diamonds to his best friend loses her immediately as best friend, he'll be 2nd best. So, I'll never give diamonds to a girl.
A man and a hot babe walk into a jewelry store. Standing over the mans shoulder, the babe points to various diamonds under the counter. The owner of the shop approaches them and asks 'May I help you?'. The man replies 'Why yes, I'd like to buy my loving girlfriend here your best diamond broach.' Hearing this the babe with a twinkle in her eye smiles. The owner sets the broach out and the man cuts a check for it promising to pick up the broach after the check has cleared after the weekend. Completely satisfied, the owner puts the check in the till and the broach in the safe. Comes Monday and the owner of the shop finds out that the check didn't clear. Around 2:00 the man comes in the shop without the babe on his hip. The owner says 'Hey! Your check didn't clear with the Bank!' The man replies, 'Yeah I know, and I'm sorry for the inconvenience. But can you just imagine the weekend I had? ' .
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Impure Diamonds Burn And Leave Ashes
Yes, diamonds burn. There are many substantiated insurance claims of diamonds being destroyed in fires. As far as I know, the bit about no ash remaining is theoretical. Being pure carbon, the combustion of diamond does produce CO2. But just how many absolutely pure diamonds are there? Any color in diamonds is produced by non-carbon impurities. In addition to the oxygen which takes up residence on the surface of a diamond (attaching itself almost automatically to the free molecular bonding sites), most diamonds are at least partially nitrogenated.
So, technically, if you have a non-nitrogenated, flawless, pure-white diamond, you can turn it into CO2 with the application of heat. But who would want to?
Boy, isn’t a CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics a handy thing to have around?
D.R.