Lonsdaleite is a rare hexagonal form of a diamond.
Researchers from Australia and the United Kingdom have revealed in a recent study that a strange diamond from an ancient dwarf planet found its way to Earth’s surface.
According to CNN, the revelation started to unfold when geologist Andy Tomkins, a professor at Monash University in Australia, was out in the field categorizing meteorites. He came across a strange “bended” kind of diamond in a space rock in Northwest Africa, said study coauthor Alan Salek, a doctoral student, and researcher at RMIT University in Australia.
After more investigation, it was discovered that the meteorite included lonsdaleite, a rare hexagonal stone.
According to research, Lonsdaleite is thought to have been produced “from a supercritical fluid at a high temperature and moderate pressure,”.
In an article published by RMIT University, one of the research partners, Tomkins was quoted as saying, “Later, lonsdaleite was partially replaced by a diamond as the environment cooled and the pressure decreased,”.
Researchers believe that the dwarf planet and a sizable asteroid collided approximately 4.5 billion years ago, resulting in the formation of the diamond.
The unusual hexagonal structure of the diamond could make it harder than most diamonds originating from Earth.
It has been discovered that lonsdaleite may be tougher than typical diamonds, which have a cubic structure. According to academics, its peculiar creation may have significant technological applications.
Although it is normal to conceive of diamonds as having formed under the extreme pressures present deep inside the Earth, some of the strongest jewels have also been discovered in meteorites, and they are fundamentally distinct from their terrestrial counterparts.