You can soften your sweetie with diamonds, but to soften a diamond — the hardest material on Earth — takes some special chemistry. New research finds that a liquidlike layer of carbon at the interface ...

A scanning electron microscope image of gemstone processing waste. Researchers are exploring ways to use gemstone processing waste in cement, reducing the environmental impacts of both industries.

London — Sixty Namibian small-scale gem miners have been trained in cutting and polishing gemstones under a Commonwealth Secretariat project to develop the country's small and cottage industries.