Industrial and consumer applications in abrasives and machine tooling have used man-made diamond -- the hardest known material -- for more than 40 years. More recent research using lasers to create faster, more efficient methods for making superhard diamond thin coatings has the potential to revolutionize products and applications across several industries. Several companies and research institutions have developed laser- or chemical vapor deposition techniques for making these coatings, with the goal of vastly improved speed and efficiency, and reducing costs.