Industrial Minerals 2004 – Industrial Diamond

Estimated world production of natural and synthetic industrial diamond was about 630 million carats in 2004. Natural industrial diamond deposits have been found in more than 35 countries, and synthetic industrial diamond is produced in at least 10 countries. About 80 percent of the global output was produced in Ireland, Japan, Russia, South Africa and the United States. Russia and the United States are the world’s leading producers of synthetic industrial diamond. In 2004, the two U.S. synthetic producers, one in Pennsylvania and the other in Ohio, had an estimated output of 250million carats. Also in 2004, nine U.S. firms manufactured polycrystalline diamond (PCD) from synthetic diamond grit and powder.