For centuries, people have admired the flickering flame of a candle, marveling at its warm glow and magical twinkle. But recent groundbreaking research has revealed that those sparkles might not just be poetic imagery—they could actually be tiny diamonds.
Professor Wuzong Zhou of the University of St Andrews has uncovered a stunning scientific discovery: as a candle burns, it creates approximately 1.5 million diamond nanoparticles every second. This revelation brings new depth to our understanding of something as simple as a candle flame, which for thousands of years has captured the fascination of poets and scientists alike.
Zhou’s research, which was sparked by a challenge from a fellow scientist, used an innovative new sampling technique to extract particles from the very center of the flame. What he found was nothing short of astonishing: a candle flame contains all four known forms of carbon—diamond nanoparticles, fullerene particles, graphitic carbon, and amorphous carbon.
This discovery challenges previous understandings of combustion, as it was long thought that these carbon forms could only exist under specific conditions. The secret ingredients of a candle flame are much more complex than anyone had realized, with diamond particles forming in the flame before they are eventually burned away and turned into carbon dioxide.
While the diamond nanoparticles are fleeting, this discovery opens the door to potential future applications in creating diamonds more efficiently and in an environmentally friendly way. For now, the find has sparked excitement in the scientific community and even within the candle-making industry, with Rosey Barnet, Artistic Director of Shearer Candles, calling it “exciting” and saying the discovery could revolutionize how people view candles.
In the 19th century, scientist Michael Faraday marveled at the beauty of candle flames, saying, “None of these rival the brilliancy and beauty of flame. What diamond can shine like flame?” Now, it seems Faraday’s words might have been more prophetic than ever.