Artificial diamond making is part of ancient Sanskrit text `Ratna Pradeepika' in which the saint scientist Bharadwaja deals with different classes of diamonds and composition of different artificial diamonds, says the book `Science and Technology of Diamond,' edited by GS Bhatnagar, a former scientist with the Department of Atomic Energy. Bhatnagar had done extensive work on uranium and pegmatites of India.

The text, `Kritakavajra Nirnaya,' also describes a complex engineering machinery assembly and elaborate manufacturing processes needed to make artificial diamonds.

However, based on the formula given in the text, no artificial diamond can be prepared unless one is able to equate ancient Sanskrit terminology with modern English terms, Bhatnagar says.

According to him, vast amount of scientific knowledgeabout diamonds and other gems is locked in various ancient Sanskrit texts.

Based on observations made by authors of these texts, areas of Magadh (south Bihar), Saurashtra (parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan) and Tripura (north east India) should be explored for finding new diamond fields.

The story of many world famous diamonds of India is the history of diamond mining in India which dates to antiquity, say Bhatnagar and co-author SRN Murthy in a chapter.

Diamonds have adorned many an old temple and idol and were actively distributed through ancient trade routes, says Bhatnagar.

The earliest reference to diamonds is in Rigveda, the oldest Sanskrit text, in which the God Indra is reported to have killed a demon in a war with his weapon ``Vajrayudh'' or a diamond weapon.

Diamonds have also been described in the `Puranas,' in Kautilya's `Arthshastra' and Varahamira's `Brahatsamhita' which contain details of the origin, distribution, minerology and economics of diamonds.