Cutting Edge
A diamond manufacturer is crafting new uses for an age-old treasure.
Traditionally, diamonds have been a girl's best friend.
Soon, they'll be everyone's. Apollo
Diamond--founded in 2000 by Robert Linares, 70; his son, Bryant
Linares, 43; and Patrick Doering, 42--may be a small, 25-employee
business in Boston, but it's doing spectacular things. Using
chemical vapor deposition to create single-crystal diamonds just
like nature does, the company makes the rare mineral a part of our
everyday lives.
Apollo Diamond's ability to manufacture large, highly
perfect crystal diamonds for jewelry and industrial applications
cuts the cost of diamonds while making them more invaluable. Within
the next decade, diamonds could help with joint replacements and
serve as neural stimulators. Their ability to transmit data at
speeds unsupported by normal semicon-ductors makes them viable for
use in everything from cell phones to computer processors. With so
much potential, Apollo Diamond's future is crystal clear: huge
expansion and 2006 sales estimated at about $7 million. Says
Bryant, "This is like a tsunami rolling through a number of
industries, and we're on it."