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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Unpublished letter, 'Artifically formed diamonds' from James Mactear to the Secretary of the Royal Society

Reference number: AP/60/12

Date: 14 December 1879

Description

Mactear writes: 'as the result of certain speculations on the density of matter, I have been able to produce carbon in the crystalline form, perfectly pure and transparent in colour, and with all the properties of the natural diamond sofar as its power of scratching glass, resisting the action of high degrees of heat, and of acids and alkalis also apparently in its refractive power and crystalline form.' He states that he will communicate the results of his experiments in greater detail. He also shares his observations on the atomic weight of carbon.

Subject: Chemistry

Received and read 18 December 1879.

Written by Mactear in Saint Rollox, Glasgow [Scotland].

Reference number
AP/60/12
Earliest possible date
14 December 1879
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
2 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

James Mactear

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Citation

James Mactear, Unpublished letter, 'Artifically formed diamonds' from James Mactear to the Secretary of the Royal Society, 14 December 1879, AP/60/12, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_60_12/unpublished-letter-artifically-formed-diamonds-from-james-mactear-to-the-secretary-of-the-royal-society, accessed on 15 July 2026

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_60_12/unpublished-letter-artifically-formed-diamonds-from-james-mactear-to-the-secretary-of-the-royal-society

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    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

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