Red-letter day as gemologists discover why crimson diamonds are so rare
Now, one of the finest red diamonds – the Winston Red – has gone on public display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC.
The special stone was donated to the museum in December 2023 by Ronald Winston, son of the late American jeweller Harry Winston, and new analysis has revealed what gives it its intense red hue and where it probably came from.
Gemologists and researchers probed this rare gem using a variety of imaging techniques and their results, published in Gems and Gemology, show that the diamond contains a special type of nitrogen and is made up from a deformed crystal lattice of tightly stacked pink to red layers.
The incredibly intense heat and pressure conditions needed to produce these features are unusual and help to explain why brilliant crimson diamonds like the Winston Red are so very rare.
The earliest record of this splendid gem is from 1938, when Jacques Cartier sold the stone to the Indian maharajah of Nawanagar.
This date, along with the chemical and structural makeup of the gem and the way it had been cut, have helped to narrow down the most likely birthplace to mines in Brazil or Venezuela.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Colorado residents alarmed as rabbits with black horns and mouth tentacles keep appearing
Rabbits in Fort Collins, Colorado, have been observed with eerie black growths resembling tentacles or horns, causing alarm among residents. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have identified the cause as Shope papillomavirus (SPV), a rabbit-only virus that produces wart-like tumours, particularly around the face and head. SPV, a relative of human papillomavirus, is spread among rabbits by biting insects but is not harmful to humans, pets, or other wildlife. Officials advise the public to avoid approaching or touching affected rabbits, noting that the growths often disappear naturally and most wild rabbits manage well. The unusual appearance of these rabbits has gone viral online, with many comparing them to "zombies" or "Frankenstein bunnies", and some researchers linking them to the jackalope legend. 'Zombie' rabbits with black horns and mouth tentacles are invading Colorado backyards
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Men can't cope under pressure! Married blokes are more likely to CHEAT than women when they're stressed, study finds
Whether it's a new job, a house move or having children, there are plenty of things that can trigger nerves or anxiety. But ladies, beware – as a new study reveals men are more likely than women to have an affair during high–stress life events. Researchers from Indiana University Bloomington surveyed more than 1,000 adults who were in committed heterosexual relationships during the first year of the Covid pandemic. Participants were asked about whether they had engaged in any actions that their partner would consider to be infidelity. Overall, 19 per cent of people said they had engaged in some form of infidelity during the pandemic – either online or in–person. Analysis revealed that men were more likely than women to say their desire to be unfaithful increased during the pandemic. They were also more likely to report having cheated on their significant other. Experts said men may be 'especially vulnerable' to stressful events – and that these individuals may benefit from targeted support. The results, published in the journal Plos One, also showed that parents were more likely to have affairs than couples who did not have children. However in this group, both mothers and fathers were just as likely as each other to cheat. 'Our recent research found that parents, compared to non–parents, reported higher desire for and engagement in infidelity during periods of significant external stress, such as the COVID–19 pandemic,' they said. 'Men also reported greater desire and behaviour than women in general. 'These findings suggest that parents, and men in particular, may be especially susceptible to infidelity–related risk factors during high–stress life events. 'Targeted support for these individuals and their relationships may be especially important when navigating periods of collective or personal strain.' Further analysis revealed that older participants reported a greater inclination towards cheating than younger participants. This could suggest that longer–term relationships or accumulated life stress might impact relationship satisfaction, the team said. Previous research has already suggested that the Covid pandemic strained many romantic and sexual relationships. And other studies suggest that high stress and relationship dissatisfaction may prompt some people to consider engaging in romantic or sexual infidelity. According to the General Social Survey, which has tracked the social behaviours of people in the US for more than 50 years, approximately 10 per cent of married people engage in cheating in any given year. Of these, 12 per cent are men and 7 per cent are women. In the UK, around a third of marriages end in divorce and infidelity is one of the most commonly cited reasons. ARE MEN WITH SHORT AND WIDE FACES MORE LIKELY TO CHEAT? Researchers from Nipissing University in Canada looked at how different facial features affect sexual behaviours. The study involved 314 undergraduate students who were in romantic relationships. Each student completed a questionnaire about their behaviour, sex drive, sexual orientation, the chances they'd consider cheating, and how comfortable they were with the concept of casual sex. The researchers also took a picture of each student to analyse their facial width-to-height ratios (FWHR). The results showed that men and women with a high FWHR – square and wide faces – reported a greater sex drive than others. Men with a larger FWHR were also more easy-going when it comes to casual sex and would consider being unfaithful to their partners. The researchers hope the findings will shed light on the role that facial features play in sexual relationships and mate selection. Their research builds upon previous studies that have shown that certain psychological and behavioural traits are associated with particular facial width-to-height ratios (FWHR). Square-faced men tend to be perceived as more aggressive, more dominant, more unethical, and more attractive as short-term sexual partners than men with thinner and longer faces.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
NASA's nuclear gamble on the moon faces growing skepticism
Fast-tracking a NASA plan to build a nuclear reactor on the moon may sound dubious. Experts say that's because it is. 'The whole proposal is cock-eyed and runs against the sound management of a space program that is now being starved of money,' national security analyst, nuclear expert and author Joseph Cirincione told The Independent. Nuclear has been used in space since the 1960s. That's nothing new. The U.S. launched its first test reactor into orbit in 1965, and the former Soviet Union has sent up dozens more. NASA says that a new 100-kilowatt reactor could be used to power a future base at the lunar South Pole, and fuel prospective missions to Mars and beyond. Nuclear would help to fill gaps in solar energy that occur when that side of the moon is in darkness for two weeks. The majority of space experts have said that placing a reactor on the moon is possible, so, why is NASA's current plan 'cock-eyed?' The problem is the proposed timeline. Interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, who also serves as President Donald Trump's Secretary of Transportation, pushed to expedite the project, detailed in a memo this week. Duffy said the administration wanted to have a nuclear reactor ready to launch by 2030. Earlier this year, China and Russia announced a plan to build a nuclear reactor for a lunar base by 2035. 'The first country to do so could potentially declare a 'keep-out' zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first,' Duffy said. NASA first announced in 2021 that it would put a reactor on the moon 'within a decade.' In 2024, NASA then said that their target date for delivery a reactor to the Earth-based launchpad was the early 2030s. But, Cirincione says essentially no progress has been made. 'It was in the last Trump administration that NASA had put out a press release, they had a YouTube video, they had these announcements about how they're going to develop these small, modular nuclear reactors for use on the moon, and it was going to be ready by 2026,' said Cirincione, who is vice-chair of the Center for International Policy, a non-profit that advocates for a peaceful approach to foreign policy. 'Oh, really? So, where is it?' Ultimately, the expert believes a nuclear reactor on the moon could take up to 20 years to become a reality. NASA would need a working launch vehicle, a small and adaptable reactor, and the ability to land on the moon. Right now, the SpaceX Starship is the only vehicle option – but it has exploded during several of its test flights. NASA has been working with Boeing on a Space Launch System - the main competitor to Space X's Starship - but that program would be canceled under the Trump administration's proposed cuts which slash 24 percent from NASA's overall budget. Landing on the moon is no picnic, and attempts by Japanese space companies in 2023 and 2025 ended in crashes. There are also the scientific and technological advances needed for the nuclear reactors. The reactors must be able to withstand harsh conditions on the moon, including temperatures swings from 250 degrees Fahrenheit during the day to minus 400 degrees at night. 'Small modular nuclear reactors, it turns out, are always just around the corner – a corner you never get to turn,' Cirincione said. Many scientists and nuclear energy experts have shared in Cirincione's skepticism. Dr. Kathryn Huff, a former nuclear energy official at the U.S. Department of Energy, and professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, wrote in a Bluesky social media post that she's not 'bullish' on 'unrealistic timelines.' 'The 2030 target does not align well with recent budgetary trends…' she explained in a statement, shared by the university. 'Accelerating the FSP program could come at the expense of other critical priorities, including earth science, climate observation and space-based weather forecasting – all core elements of NASA's public-serving mission.' Dr. Alfredo Carpineti, an Italian astrophysicist, wrote in IFLScience this week that the proposal is 'unfeasible.' 'Even if we allow landing the nuclear reactor on December 31, 2030, the timing is really too short for something that must not have any faults if you want to operate it safely,' Carpineti wrote. Others were more optimistic about NASA's accelerated timeline. Sebastian Corbisiero, a senior program manager at Idaho National Laboratory who leads the Energy Department's space reactor program, told The Independent that a nuclear reactor on the moon is 'doable' by 2030. 'Nuclear reactor technology has been around for decades, so its well known,' he said. 'Some key differences with a space reactor is that it needs to fit on a rocket, so there are mass and volume requirements; and that the system needs to operate in vacuum – so components will need to be built to survive that environment.' Dr. Bhavya Lal, a former associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy at NASA, and former aerospace executive Roger Myers, recently argued that it would be possible to have nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030, and it would take $3 billion to do so. 'It's possible, but it will require serious commitment,' Lal told The Independent. But even if plans are speeded up, Lal says there's no need to worry about the prospect of the moon blowing up. It's 'simply not grounded in science,' she said.
