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| Natural Diamond Overview: | |
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Diamonds are found in
alluvial (loose earthy material deposited by running water) formations
and in volcanic pipes, filled for most of their length with blue ground
or kimberlite, an igneous rock consisting largely of serpentine .
At the surface the blue ground is weathered to a clay called yellow ground. Diamantiferous (or diamondiferous), or diamond-yielding, earth is mined both by the open-pit method and by underground mining. After being removed to the surface, it is crushed and then concentrated. Sorting is done by passing the concentrated material in a stream of water over greased tables. The diamond, being largely water repellent, sticks to the grease, but the other minerals retain a film of water, which prevents them from adhering to the grease. The diamonds are then removed from the grease, cleaned, and graded for sale. |
| Legend and Lore: | |
| The diamond has been a symbol of eternal love since the 15th century, when Archduke Maximillian of Austria sealed his engagement to Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring. Of all jewels, the diamond is supreme and worthy of the name precious stone. It qualifies for all the virtues implied in that term: brilliance, hardness, rarity, antiquity, purity and permanence. | |
| Physical Properties: | |
Color:
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Colourless (white) and pale yellow ("off colour" or "capes") |
Refractive Index:
|
2.418 |
Pleochroism:
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Weak to Moderate, Blue and Green Blue |
Chemistry:
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Carbon |
Hardness:
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10.0 |
Density:
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3.52 |
Crystal Group:
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Hexagonal |
Occurrence:
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Africa, Asia, India, South America, United States |
