Diamond Source - Kimberlite and Placer or Alluvial Deposits Where are diamonds found? Natural diamonds are found in one of the following environments: - Kimberlite Rock
Placer / Alluvial Deposits
Diamond Source - How are Diamonds formed? How are diamonds formed and where do diamonds originate? What is the source of a diamond? A Diamond is formed when extreme heat (temperatures of 2200 degrees Fahrenheit) and extreme pressure cause carbon atoms to crystallize forming diamonds approximately ninety miles under the earth's surface. Diamond Source - What is Kimberlite? What is Kimberlite? Kimberlite is a rock that occurs in ancient volcanic pipes. The kimberlite rock is the most common host of diamonds. Volcanic pipes, or channels are commonly referred to as kimberlites. Kimberlite is the blue rock typical of these volcanic pipes. When a volcano erupts diamonds are also deposited on, or near, the surface the Kimberlite. The diamond deposits discovered at Kimberley in South Africa were the first deposits where this type of rock was recognized and was the source of its name. Diamond Source - What is a Placer or Alluvial Deposit? What is a Placer Deposit or Alluvial Deposit? Some of the kimberlite host rock is washed away by streams and rivers and the diamonds and is deposited in the stream sands in 'placer deposits'. The sediment deposited by flowing water, such as in a riverbed, is referred to as an Alluvial deposit. These deposits are caused by volcanic eruptions or by millions of years of erosion caused by rainfall and snow-melt which unearth the diamonds from their kimberlite source. |