Industrial-grade diamond that is imperfectly crystallized and not suitable for jewelry, used mainly for cutting and grinding tools.
From Afrikaans 'boart,' which came from Dutch 'baart.' The term emerged in the 18th-19th centuries as the diamond trade developed in South Africa and industrial uses for flawed diamonds grew.
Boort diamonds are 'worthless' for engagement rings but invaluable in industry—they're so hard they're used to cut and polish everything from stone to glass to other diamonds. Imperfection became the point!
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