Diamond-set rings, pendants, and earrings make for great jewelry pieces, but did you know diamonds have other uses as well, some of which have nothing to do with their beauty? These stones also happen to be the hardest natural substance known to man, letting them find various uses beyond the jewelry industry.

Health

Diamonds can bring health benefits. As tiny particles measuring smaller than a hair, they can be used to help in cancer treatment. This is done by attaching these “nanodiamonds” to chemotherapy drugs which the patient imbibes. The latter normally get pumped out by cancer cells before they can do what they are intended to. However, this does not work on diamond particles, which help retain the medicine inside the body. Nanodiamonds also reflect light and have compatibility with human cells, making them valuable in monitoring treatment results. Researchers are even considering their use in curing blindness by including them in eye implants.

Dentistry

Most of a dentist’s tools are tipped with diamonds. This is to ensure the cutting edge stays hard and sharp because diamonds score the absolute highest score on the Moh scale. They also render a dentist’s tools more abrasive.

Beauty

Several celebrities swear by diamond beauty products, including reality star Kim Kardashian, who underwent a treatment before getting married to Kanye West. Jennifer Lopez has said she uses diamond dust exfoliator to treat her cellulite. Many companies offer diamond products which can be used as exfoliator or blurring agent.

Computers

Diamonds have remarkably high heat resistance and can endure significantly broader and more rapid fluctuations in temperature than silicon. They also endure high voltages pretty well, making their use in semiconductors a no-brainer, barring the cost of course.

High-End Speakers

Diamonds can undergo rapid vibration without sustaining deformation, or when used in speakers, distorting sound quality. They are simply too strong to incur damage in this way. For audiophiles, speakers constructed with diamonds are a dream option if they desire flawless sound output. For similar reasons, diamonds are also used to tip record player needles and DJ equipment.

Industrial Applications

Diamond’s incredible strength makes it valuable as a cutting, drilling, and polishing tool. The mining industry benefits the most from using such tools, although the military is not too far behind. Even adding diamonds to the oil of cutting equipment can render it more powerful when cutting through a substance.