Plural of bort; imperfectly crystallized diamonds used for industrial purposes like cutting and grinding tools.
From Dutch 'boart,' referring to industrial-grade diamond fragments. The term entered English through diamond trade terminology in the 17th century, originally describing diamond dust and poorly crystallized forms unsuitable for gems.
Borts might seem like waste diamonds, but they're actually incredibly valuable—they're used in saw blades and drill bits for construction, and without them, mining and manufacturing would be far more expensive.
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