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Chemistry in the News Materials Chemistry

The chemistry of the coronation crowns

As England celebrates the coronation of King Charles III this weekend, the crowns will be the centre of attention. Combined, the three crowns used in the ceremony contain almost 6,000 gemstones — this graphic takes a look at their chemical compositions.

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Materials Chemistry

The Chemistry of Diamond Rings

Diamonds might purportedly be ‘a girl’s best friend’, but they’re also quite interesting from a chemical perspective. You could be forgiven for thinking that there’s not a whole lot to them; after all, they’re simply one of the possible forms of carbon, formed at high pressure beneath the Earth’s surface. However, there are a number […]