THIS INVENTION relates to a method of making a diamond containing material comprising diamond particles and a second phase containing an intermetallic compound comprising the steps of providing a reaction mass of reactants capable, on reaction, of producing carbon and an intermetallic compound and subjecting the reaction mass to diamond synthesis conditions. In an embodiment of the invention, the diamond containing material produced is polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and the reaction mass contains diamond particles in an amount sufficient to allow PCD to be produced. In a further embodiment of the invention, the diamond content in the diamond containing material produced does not exceed 70 volume %.