Daniel Holliday, Age 10, of Kenos, Mich., and to Douglas Pringle. age 8, Of Victoria, B.C., for their question:

What is a diamond made of?

The rare and precious diamond is made of plain carbon, and carbon is one of the most plentiful Elements in our world.  What's more, every atom of carbon is like every other atom of carbon.  Graphite, which is the so called lead in a pencil, is also made of pure carbon.

The difference between diamond and graphite lies in the way in which the atoms is fitted together.  In a diamond, the carbon atoms are locked together in a tight crystal formation.  In nature, carbon atoms form into diamond crystals when ... they suffer through the terrific heat and pressure of erupting volcanoes.  At last we are learning to copy nature’s recipe to produce man made diamonds.