Things You'll Need
Glass pan
2 charcoal briquets
4 ounces of peanut butter
Microwave
Lighter fluid
Lighter
Outdoor grill
Dark colored dish
2 oven mitts
Spoon or spatula
Fire extinguisher
If you have always wanted to make fake diamonds, your jewels may be no farther away than the peanut butter jar. This recipe for microwave diamonds is a fun and exciting way to try to create your own diamonds to wear or just enjoy because of their unique nature. However, this experiment does not have a 100 percent success rate, and you should do it only with adult supervision. If a fire starts in your microwave, stop the process immediately. Bear in mind that the diamonds you create will not be the type of diamonds that are traditionally worn in jewelry. You can enjoy them for their unique back story rather than their brilliance. Also, this experiment can be very dangerous, so proceed with extreme caution and stop at the slightest sign of a problem.
Step 1
Place the charcoal briquets and the peanut butter in a glass pan. The charcoal should be completely covered with peanut butter. Do not spread the peanut butter around the pan, but rather leave it in a lump only covering the charcoal.
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Step 2
Microwave the pan and its contents for ten minutes at a time. After each interval, give your microwave a one minute break. If you notice sparks leaping in the microwave, turn off the microwave. Repeat the process a total of six times, assuming you do not see sparks or any other potentially hazardous activity.
Step 3
Remove the dish from the microwave at the end of the sixth interval. Use the oven mitts to handle it, as it may be quite hot. Place the dish on an outdoor grill.
Step 4
Cover the contents of the dish with lighter fluid and set it on fire. (This is to burn off excess ash.) Allow the contents to burn until the flames go out on their own.
Step 5
Let the contents cool, then use a spatula or spoon to scrape them onto a dark colored dish. At this point, you will have a gray, ashy mass in the dish.
Step 6
Wash the gray stuff off the dish. Keep an eye out for your diamonds. If the process worked, you should have two diamonds--one for each lump of charcoal--in the middle of the burned charcoal and gray goop. Remember, the diamonds will not be cut and shiny but rough, cloudy lumps.
Tip
This experiment does not have a perfect success rate, so just try it with two charcoal briquets at a time. Using more than this can seriously damage your microwave.
Warning
Using microwaves in unintended ways is always dangerous. If you do this experiment, you do so at your own risk and at the risk of your microwave. Carelessness can result in fires, broken appliances or damage to your kitchen. Never do this experiment without adult supervision or under the influence of alcohol or other substances. If you see flames or sparks in your microwave, turn it off immediately but do not touch the contents. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand.
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