December

Platinum (2), Hematite, Vanadinite, Diamond (2)

12-30

Posted on by Jean Constant

12-30. Diamond(b) #07

Last diamond of the series, last series of the year!

I wanted to close with a resource from R. W.G Wyckoff.

R. Wyckoff is an American scientist and pioneer of X-ray crystallography who professor of microbiology and physics at the University of Arizona in Tucson in the early 1960’. I used several of his resources over the year, always a little anxious working with information going back so far in time.

This particular resource dated 1963 is a credit both to the quality of his work and the significance of his research that looks as new today as it did when it was completed

Original resource: Wyckoff R W G, Crystal Structures 1 (1963)

12-30

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12-29

Posted on by Jean Constant

12-29. Diamond(b) #06

From a resource by T. Hom, W. Kiszenick, and B. Post.

12-29

12-28

Posted on by Jean Constant

12-28. Diamond(b) #05

A mineral goes Sierpinski!

This is a front view of a diamond crystal unit cell. In the background, the mineral’s polyhedral structure. In the foreground, the carbon atoms in a 4/m symmetry pattern.

From a resource by M. Straumanis and E. Aka.

12-28

12-26

Posted on by Jean Constant

12-26. Diamond(b) #03

Is there such a thing as a visual digression?

Common practice in oral and written arts – I found myself carried into a visual digression! The diamond atoms’ symmetry led me to work on an optical illusion made famous by Hermann in the late 1800s. The “white dot in the black circle” after effect. Maybe it’s one of the reasons for diamond popularity – leaving an after-effect optical illusion in the viewer’s eye?

12-26

12-24

Posted on by Jean Constant

12-24. Diamond(b) #01

Last week of the Geometry of Nature project!

I started this project Jan 1st, 2017 with the mineral diamond. 52 weeks later, I thought it would be interesting to end with the same mineral. There are many reasons why diamond is so popular. One for me would be its incredibly well-composed geometry and its shine. How will this compare with the first week of the project? Who knows, life is a progression.

The name diamond comes from the ancient Greek – adámas “unbreakable”.  A good omen to start a new year, as it proved for the project. I don’t believe I missed more than 2 or 3 deadlines in this 365 days marathon, and I stayed focused through thick and thin on this incredible journey of discovery of Nature, geometry, and geometry in nature.

Interesting to know, the largest diamond found in the universe so far, BPM 37093, is located 50 light-years (4.7×1014 km) away in the constellation Centaurus. The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics describes the 2,500-mile (4,000 km)-wide stellar core as a diamond. Next year journey maybe?

12-24