‘Candlelight contains millions of tiny diamonds’

Prof Wuzong Zhou,who led the research,said that if a way of extracting the particles is discovered,it could lead to new methods of manufacturing diamonds.

“Unfortunately the diamond particles are burned away in the process,and converted into carbon dioxide,but this will change the way we view a candle flame forever,” Prof Zhou was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.

“My research shows that it is possible to see diamonds in flame,but this also gives us a chance to think about whether diamonds can be formed in a different way,” he said.

The twinkling of candlelight has been compared with diamonds by philosophers and scientists including Michael Faraday.

Previous research had shown that hydrocarbon molecules at the bottom of candle flames are converted into carbon dioxide by the time they reach the top,but it was not known exactly what happens in between.

The researchers now plan to examine barbecue flames to determine if they also contain fledgling diamonds,and if they gild the burgers and sausages that are eaten afterwards.