Researchers in China have created what they believe to be the first samples of pure hexagonal diamond, a rare variant of superstrong diamond found in meteorites from shattered dwarf planets. The discovery was made in a special type of diamond-rich meteorite called ureilite. Researchers found that in 1962, researchers at the Pittsburg Coal Research Center theorized that layers of carbon atoms could be organized in a hexagonal lattice instead of a cubic one. In 1967, researchers discovered lonsdaleite in the lab, believing it could be harder than cubic diamond. The biggest challenge in identifying lonsdalite was finding pure samples mixed with other minerals, making it difficult to test and measure its unique properties. The study also provided major evidence that hexagonal diamonds is a real material. It could potentially have applications in many fields, including cutting tools, thermal management materials, and quantum sensing.