Diamond Dust - in Jewelry, Beauty Products, Art, Weather, Construction!

Diamond dust is the residue that is left behind when a jeweler cuts a large diamond into smaller pieces -- but believe me it's not left behind long because that residue can be used in a variety of ways.

Diamond Dust in Jewelry - Diamond dust is somtimes used as a coating for jewelry, to add sparkle to high-end gold, silver, or platinum pieces. Many jewelers carry various types of pendants filled with diamond dust.

Diamond Dust in Beauty Products  - Beauty icons such as Madonna has been known to use makeup products that contain diamond dust. For instance, eye shadow mixed with diamond dust for extra shimmer and glitter to her eyes and eye brows.  “The resulting brightness and glow from Madonna’s eyes captivate the audience and reinforces the fact that there are always new possibilities with makeup — and no rules,” explains Gina Brooke, artistic director for Shu Uemura.   

photo courtesy of Shu Uemrua

Diamond Dust is also used as fingernail glitter, a very expensive glitter -- but a glitter nonethless.  Diamond dust is also listed as an ingredient in a number of different beauty products, such as perfume, beauty cremes, and body washes.

Diamond Dust is also used in spa treatments - Gem Spa at the Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Cancun Resort, offers the Diamond Perfection Luxury Facial which combines elements of massage, exfoliation techniques, magnetic therapy and diamond dust to promote glow and lift and goes for only $248.

Diamond Dust in Art - Andy Warhol is probably the most famous artist who's used diamond dust in his portraits (dusting it over the portraits of rich celebrities who then paid a mint of the shimmery image), but he's not the only one.

Diamond Dust in Weather - Ever heard someone say "it's too cold to snow?" I have, and have always believed it. Growing up in New York City it seemed to be true. If the temperature was below 32 degrees (F) we might be in for snow, but if it too cold -- like 10 degrees (F) -- well, not so much. That's because if it gets too cold, there's little water vapor in the sky to fall.

But the truth is in certain parts of the world -- places that have VERY cold winters -- snow will occur even though there are no clouds in the sky. Places like Anatartica, for instance. Places where the temperature drops to like -40 degrees (F), do get snow, folks!

And if there's dust or minute particles in the air on which the little water vapor there is in the air can deposit, snow can occur in temperatures like -20 degrees (F).  At such temperatures, the water vapour in the air spontaneously forms ice crystals which slowly settle earthward. When these falling crystals are caught in the light, they sparkle like gemstones, a weather condition known appropriately enough as diamond dust.

Actually a very beautiful sight!

And according to a post on wikipedia: Diamond dust is often associated with halos around the sun and other related optical phenomena. These result because the diamond dust crystals form directly as simple hexagonal ice crystals (as opposed to freezing drops,) and because they generally form slowly. This combination results in crystals with well defined shapes, usually either hexagonal plates or columns. These shapes, like a prism, can refract light in specific directions. Some halos can also be seen under a cirrus cloud, but diamond dust can create much more spectacular displays because the ice crystals are all around the observer.

Diamond Dust in Construction - Last, but not least, diamond dust is used to make construction tools such as drills, and saws.

Diamond Dust Rocks!