The Hope Diamond is being used to fingerprint blue diamonds allowing scientists to identify the genuine ones from the artificial. While most blue diamonds continue to glowblue when placed under ultraviolet light, the Hope Diamond glows red. Research was conducted at the Smithsonian and Naval Research Laboratory and the findings are reported in the Geology journal.
The phosphorescence comes from boron in the gem, the same element that makes it appear blue in normal light, explained Jeffrey Port, curator of the National Gem Collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
But while all blue diamonds glow in ultraviolet light, most glow blue. The Hope glows red, indicating a different mix of boron and nitrogen, Post explained in a telephone interview.
He said researchers, by measuring the different glows, have been able to tell real blue diamonds from artificial ones as well as real ones that have been "enhanced" in laboratories.
(www6cast.net)
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