Report: It's Raining Diamonds on Saturn

(Image: news.nationalgeographic.com)

The diamond occupies a central place in the diadem of gemological history. The recognition of the stones' value began in India over 3,000 years ago. Today, these precious jewels continue to maintain a sort of hypnotic spell for possessors as well as for those who covet their neighbors' goods.

Part of diamonds' allure is its scarcity. That's not the case elsewhere in the solar system. According to an unpublished paper recently presented by a University of Wisconsin (UW) scientist, it's literally raining diamonds on Saturn and Jupiter. UW scientist Dr. Kevin Baines co-wrote the paper with private sector expert Mona Delitsky; the BBC carried the story of their findings.

A diamond rainstorm sounds implausible, and some scientists are skeptical about the paper's assertions. Baines and Delitsky counter by noting Saturn's and Jupiter's atmospheric conditions and likely chemical composition offers ideal conditions for diamond formation. However, the stones don't survive; they eventually plunge into the planets' unimaginably hot inner layers, possibly forming a pool of liquid carbon.

I suppose that's a fitting end to a diamond rainstorm: attractive to imagine, but impossible to possess.