Cutting Edge
A diamond manufacturer is crafting new uses for an age-old treasure.
By Sara Wilson •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Traditionally, diamonds have been a girl's best friend.Soon, they'll be everyone's. ApolloDiamond--founded in 2000 by Robert Linares, 70; his son, BryantLinares, 43; and Patrick Doering, 42--may be a small, 25-employeebusiness in Boston, but it's doing spectacular things. Usingchemical vapor deposition to create single-crystal diamonds justlike nature does, the company makes the rare mineral a part of oureveryday lives.
Apollo Diamond's ability to manufacture large, highlyperfect crystal diamonds for jewelry and industrial applicationscuts the cost of diamonds while making them more invaluable. Withinthe next decade, diamonds could help with joint replacements andserve as neural stimulators. Their ability to transmit data atspeeds unsupported by normal semicon-ductors makes them viable foruse in everything from cell phones to computer processors. With somuch potential, Apollo Diamond's future is crystal clear: hugeexpansion and 2006 sales estimated at about $7 million. SaysBryant, "This is like a tsunami rolling through a number ofindustries, and we're on it."
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