The discoverer of this type of gem, Stephanie Persaud of the Gemological Institute of America, called the diamond “chilled diamond.”
This type of diamond is characterized by turning its color from gray to yellow when the weather is very cold.
And according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”, the value of this diamond is still undetermined, but it is expected that the price will be high due to its rarity.
The New Scientist website indicated that diamonds change color when exposed to temperatures of minus 196 degrees Celsius.
The reason for the change in the color of the diamond is still a mystery, given the possibility of the existence of more than one mechanism associated with this transformation, in addition to its rarity, which reduces the chances of studying it and conducting extensive experiments on it by scientists.
According to Paul Johnson of the Gemological Institute of America, diamonds are made of carbon atoms arranged in solid tetrahedral surfaces, or triangular pyramids. The color appears when there are impurities or structural defects within this chemical structure. In the case of yellow stones, this is due to the incorporation of nitrogen into their carbon crystal structure.
Johnson added: “The incorporation of nitrogen into the diamond’s carbon crystal structure modifies the light, and the blue part of the visible spectrum is absorbed. When the new type of color-changing stone is cooled, the electric charge moves closer or away from these impurities in the crystal, and thus appears differently when affected by light. “.
Johnson’s team has so far discovered five examples of cooled diamonds, some turning from gray to yellow, others from gray to blue.
Johnson hopes to find more of these gems so he can test whether his theory of how they work is correct.
The new discovery is scheduled to be presented at a meeting of the Geological Society of America in Oregon next Tuesday.
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