If you think that China is making diamonds just to compete with natural diamonds in jewelry stores, then your perspective is too narrow. Behind this lies a "tactical plan" that concerns future technology, military affairs, and even national security. These transparent little stones born in our Henan factories are no longer just ornaments; they have become truly "industrial teeth" and "strategic crystals."

First, we need to clarify a concept: the "synthetic diamonds" referred to here are mostly not the ones on your engagement ring, but rather its "twin brother"—industrial diamond. Its story began with the birth of man-made diamond in 1963.

But what makes China truly remarkable is that we not only mastered the technology, but also took it to the extreme using a magical tool called the "six-faced anvil press," achieving an astonishing global production capacity of over 95%. What does this mean? It means we can turn originally expensive diamonds into "vegetable prices" (of course, at the industrial level), completely controlling the pulse of the global market.

This brings two direct benefits: First, as an industrial cornerstone: from cutting glass blades to polishing chip abrasives, modern industry cannot do without it. Second, a new consumer favorite: when the technology matures enough to produce high-quality large particles, "cultivated diamonds" emerge. At one-third the price of natural diamonds, they perfectly match the consumption psychology of young people who seek self-pleasure and cost-effectiveness, instantly opening up a new trillion-dollar market.

But if the story stops here, the perspective is still limited. The real ambition behind China's diamond empire lies in two more advanced "games." You may have heard that chip manufacturing is being "choked" by lithography machines. But did you know that there is another hidden killer for chip performance—heat dissipation?

Modern chips have increasingly powerful computing power, but their power consumption and heat generation have also surged dramatically. If the heat cannot be dissipated, the chip will automatically reduce its frequency to "protect itself," directly reducing performance. And synthetic diamonds are the "ultimate answer" to this problem.

Because it has an amazing property: thermal conductivity is more than five times that of copper! Imagine equipping a high-speed running chip with a "diamond air conditioner," which can instantly "cool down." Industry giant NVIDIA confirmed through testing that chips with diamond cooling can increase computing power threefold while reducing energy consumption by 40%.

Even better, countries like the United States heavily rely on specific specifications (such as particle size ≤ 50 micrometers) of diamond powder imported from China for high-end chip manufacturing. By implementing export controls on such key materials, we effectively play a "reverse" card in technological rivalry, becoming a formidable strategic lever. If the application in the chip field is "cutting off the fire at the source," then the military prospects are "deciding the battle from afar." Synthetic diamonds transform into core materials for various sci-fi equipment.

Navigational revolution: "Diamond compass" that doesn't rely on GPS. In modern warfare, whoever relies on GPS could be "blinded." Using micro-defects called "nitrogen-vacancy centers" inside diamonds, we can create the most precise quantum sensors in the world. They can detect the slightest changes in the Earth's magnetic field, thus enabling autonomous navigation without any external signals. Future aircraft, warships, and soldiers may all have a "diamond heart," never getting lost under any interference.

Equipment upgrade: "Cooling guardian" for high-power weapons. Whether it's radar detecting stealth fighters or electronic warfare systems for electromagnetic suppression, the higher the power, the stronger the performance, but also the more likely to "overheat." Using diamonds to cool the core chips of these systems allows them to maintain a "peak state" for extended periods, seeing farther and fighting harder.

Communication encryption: "Quantum key" that cannot be cracked. Diamonds can also serve as core components for producing quantum light sources, generating quantum keys that cannot be eavesdropped or cracked. This makes future military communications absolutely secure, achieving "heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know."

Certainly, we must remain clear-minded. Although we lead in production capacity, we still lag behind countries like Germany and Japan in the most advanced and precise diamond products (such as some ultra-precise processing tools). In the cultivated diamond sector, high-value design and brand building are still areas needing improvement.

Nevertheless, China has already proven through the field of synthetic diamonds that we will no longer be satisfied with being at the bottom of the industrial chain, but instead aim to climb upward through strong manufacturing capabilities and technological breakthroughs, firmly occupying a place in the cutting-edge fields that determine the future of the nation, such as quantum computing, nuclear fusion, and next-generation semiconductors.

Therefore, the next time you see a sparkling synthetic diamond, what shines is not just its fire, but also the strategic glow of a manufacturing powerhouse transitioning into a technological superpower. This is the true ambition of China's "synthetic diamond empire!"

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7565496591256633902/

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