New crystal stronger than diamond

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend because of their shine and glam, but they are also helpful in practical ways. The super-strong mineral is used as an industrial abrasive, on the edges of cutting tools, or on ultra-powerful drill bits, but aren't cheap.

Researchers have developed hexagonal form of diamond (Lonsdaleite)

, produced under shock compression experiments, that is significantly stiffer and stronger than regular gem diamonds. Using gunpowder and compressed gas, they launched dime-sized graphite disks at a transparent material at 15,000 miles per hour.

Upon impact, shock waves coursed through the disks, transforming them into Lonsdaleite.

Since more rigid materials are generally harder and more resistant to scratching, they concluded that lonsdaleite is stronger than diamond — by 58%, a new record.

The Lonsdaleite only lasted a few nanoseconds before the high-velocity impact obliterated the gem — just long enough for the team to get their measurements. If they can manage to keep them around longer, the rare, fleeting nature of the Lonsdaleite could make them more valuable than cubic diamonds.

If someday we can produce them and polish them, they'd be more in-demand than cubic diamonds.

What will be your choice of two diamonds: one is lot rarer than the other one? Which one would you pick?