Diamonds were given out to audience members last Monday 10 July as part of a free public event hosted by the University of Warwick.

Best known as a rare and precious stone, diamonds are often associated as forming the centerpiece of many expensive forms of jewelry. However, researchers at the University of Warwick and other collaborating universities have recently set out to prove that there is more to this precious metal than the glint it produces in the sunlight.

The event, Diamonds are for Everything, showcased the universities “new cutting edge diamond research”, which involved using lab-grown diamonds to: sense and map out magnetic fields, improve the purity of sound, and even pave the way for the next generation of cars.

There was plenty of opportunities for audience members at the event to participate alongside live demonstrations with the next generation of UK scientists. There was also ten chances during the event for audience members to win synthetic diamonds.

When questioned about the event, Professor Julie Macpherson commented that: “Warwick University is the UK hub for training the next generation of diamond scientists, funded by the UK research council and industry; working on a whole host of cutting edge applications.

Diamond is the material of the future. Its applications are limitless and we are only now scratching the surface of this most amazing material. At Warwick we have a team dedicated to uncovering its uses and finding new solutions to some of the world’s emerging challenges.”