Stylus having a conductive carbon layer

A diamond body is irradiated with a pulsed laser beam in an environment containing a small amount of oxygen to convert the carbon atoms of the diamond into a conductive layer which serves as a stylus electrode. The conversion process may be preceded by a process in which the diamond body is placed in an environment containing a large amount of oxygen and irradiated with the laser beam to carbonate the irradiated area to form a groove so that the electrode can be formed on the bottom of the groove. This prevents the electrode from being damaged when the stylus pitches as it moves on the record surface.