First use of diamond

Diamond-Polished Corundum Axe

Evidence for man's first use of diamond comes from Indian texts dating to the latter half of the first millennium BC, and there has certainly been no evidence for its use in prehistoric times. However, a group of colleagues and myself have uncovered strong evidence that the ancient Chinese used diamonds to polish ceremonial stone burial axes as early as 2500 BC, placing the earliest known use of diamond two thousand years before the mineral is known to have been used elsewhere. These stone axes, made predominantly of the mineral corundum (sapphire and ruby in its colorful gem forms) were fashioned as early as 4000 BC, so that they represent the earliest use of the mineral corundum, as well. Our work may eventually yield new insights into the origins of ancient China’s trademark Neolithic artifacts, vast quantities of finely polished jade objects.

Highlight: Interview on NPR's All Things Considered [ mp3 (4 MB) ] explains the experiment and its implications.

Related Links

  • Original research paper in Archaeometry [ pdf ]
  • High-resolution image of a corundum axe, c. 3500-4000 BC [ jpg (1 MB) ]
  • High-resolution image of a diamond-polished corundum axe, c. 2500 BC [ jpg (1 MB) ]
  • Movie of a diamond-polished corundum axe rotating in 3D, c. 2500 BC [ QuickTime (29 MB) ]
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