It turned out that "cosmic" diamonds in the Popigai Crater are harder and more free cutting than usual natural and synthetic diamonds.

      Scientists from Sobolev Geology and Mineralogy Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science and the Novosibirsk State University examined and tested the diamonds found in the meteoric crater of Popigai back in the 1970s and found out that they are much harder than usual industrial diamonds and have higher abrasive and cutting properties, the leading researcher of institute Konstantin Litasov reported to the TASS correspondent.

      "We examined and preliminary estimated the diamond stocks on some sites of the Popigai Crater. It turned out that there are huge diamond reserves there. Several field seasons more are required for detailed assessment. The most important thing is that our scientists have proved industrial value of these diamonds", - Mr. Litasov explained.

      Popigai Astroblem, the largest field of impact diamonds, is a meteoric crater on the border of Yakutia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the basin of River Popigai.