Diamonds Are Among the Most

Diamonds are among the most precious and valuable gems in the world and mining organizations understandably endure a great deal of trouble to locate and unearth them. Most of the world's diamond reserves are located in Southern Africa and Australia, although good-sized reserves can be found in Asia and South America as well (Diamond Mining, No Date). According to The Diamond Registry, Australia, Botswana, Russia, and Congo, respectively, lead the world in diamond production, although Botswana leads the world in gem-quality production (World Diamond, 2003). Clear diamonds are typically used for gems while darker diamonds tend to be employed in industrial applications, such as precision cutting (World Diamond, 2003).

Naturally, there is a fairly exact science involved in prospecting for diamonds. Diamonds are formed deep in the earth's mantle and are carried by magma to - or close to - the earth's surface. The magma is transported toward the earth's surface through what geologist's call a "pipe," which is essentially a pathway the magma follows (Diamond Mining, No Date). The soil that surrounds these pipes tends to feature kimberlite or lamproite, so the pipes are often known as kimberlite or lamproite pipes (Diamond Mining, No Date).

When geologists are prospecting for diamonds they will look for areas of volcanic activity or where magma has historically come to the earth's surface (Diamond Mining, No Date). They will also look for kimberlite or lamproite pipes and test the soil around the area for deposits of these materials (Open Pit, No Date). Geologists, for example, may find kimberlite deposits and kimberlite rocks and break them apart in a search for diamonds, which are typically embedded within these rocks (Diamonds and, No Date).

As one might expect, when water is present, diamonds can be transported and deposited just about anywhere. There are several types of mine-able diamond sources that fit this description, such as: alluvial (diamonds are actually deposited in a waterway, such as a river; mining involves panning for the host rock); wet diggings (diamonds are in the loose gravel or sand and must be panned for); dry diggings (deposited in the ground where waterways once were, necessitating digging or panning); and beach and marine deposits (on or beneath sand, which must be moved with heavy equipment) (Learning About, No Date).