Phono diamonds are man made, not the natural ones you find in most engagement rings..... not nearly the same quality. If indeed they are man made, can they really be called diamond...or diamond-like.
The ever lasting diamond stylus...is it a myth or??
We all believe that a stylus has a certain life...perhaps on the order of several thousand hours. However, it occurs to me that if a stylus is used exclusively on new and/or pristine and clean vinyl and that the various parameters of set up are always maintained correctly; that it would/could be reasonable to expect the diamond to last almost indefinitely! The wear and tear of the groove against the diamond, particularly if the friction on the stone is minimized should allow an immense life. The other components of the cartridge can- and will, age far before the diamond shape is lost....due to the aging of the rubber and other soft components in the motor...BUT the diamond....I think perhaps not....thoughts???