Sample essay on Diamonds for school and college students.
Gem diamonds were first found in streambeds in Brazil and India. Diamonds are the element of carbon that is produced by the extremely high pressure situation on limestone. Diamonds is the hardest naturally occurring substances found on earth and it is the most attractive of all precious stones due to its shiny character. Diamonds are sought after and admired because of their strength and beauty.
The diamonds are colorless, transparent and crystalline substance. The formation of diamonds takes place deep below the earth’s surface. Researchers have found that the age of diamond is different from the rock, in which it is found. It is difficult to age diamonds but a few have been aged at a billion years or more.
It take 5 to 10 tons of lamporite are or kimberlite (ores of diamond) to get one carat of diamond. This rough diamond then produces only 5% gem quality material. Because of this high waste diamond mining is usually done on a big scale that is why many countries that have diamonds do not tap into then as a resource it is simply not worth it. The three major ways diamonds are mined is through alluvial river bottoms, vertical pipes of volcanic ore and remote stretches on beaches. Diamonds mines end up looking like big lifeless holes in the ground, big scars on the earth after the bulldozers are done.
image source: mainline-gold.com/attachments/Image/Diamond_2_(1).jpg
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The highest concentration for diamond bearing kimberlite is in southern and western Africa, Venezuela and Borneo. Brazil, Russia and Australia produce a lot of the world industrial quality diamond. It is believed that diamonds were first discovered in Brazil in 1670. These deposits were not made productive until the period of 1721-1870. Brazil does not supply a large amount of the world’s diamonds any more. Over 95% per cent of the world’s diamonds come out of kimberlite mines in Africa. In 1867 diamonds first ere discovered there. Out of the 21 countries that mine for diamonds, 12 are in South Africa. In the beginning at all diamond mines it was done by hand with individual prospectors.
An unpolished, uncut diamond is not very appealing. Lot of cutting and polishing are done to make the diamonds attractive. In the 17th century special device called Mazarin (16-facet) was created to cut diamonds.
Since diamond is the hardest naturally-occurring substance, it is used for grinding other hard substance such as rubies and emeralds. It is also used to fashion eyeglasses and computer chips. The diamond is also critical in drilling trough masonry. The newest use has been to make blades for surgery. Scientists have discovered that diamonds have formed in metamorphic terrains which end the previous belief that volcanoes were the only place diamonds surfaced.
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There seems to be no end to the pool of diamonds beneath the earth. The expert of diamond says that are here to remain forever.