What is the source of the diamond mineral

Diamond mineral Diamonds are known to be a rare mineral, and they are made up of carbon , where the carbon atom is surrounde...

Diamond mineral

Diamonds are known to be a rare mineral, and they are made up of carbon , where the carbon atom is surrounded by four other carbon atoms connected by strong covalent bonds. And, high dispersion, and high luster, these unique properties have made this mineral one of the most popular gem stones in the world, and in this article we are talking extensively about this mineral and its source.

Diamond mineral sources

Many people think that the source of diamonds is coal , but this information is wrong. There is no role for coal in the formation of diamonds, as most of the diamonds that have been dated are older than the first land plants on the surface of the earth, which are considered sources of coal. As for the real sources of natural diamonds, there are four that can be summarized as follows:

Deep volcanic eruptions

Geologists believe that diamonds are formed in the mantle layer under very high temperatures and pressures, and they are transported to the surface of the earth through deep volcanic eruptions that leave behind tubes called kimberlites and lamproites, which diamond prospectors are looking for, and in these explosions the molten magma travels rapidly from the depths of the mantle layer, passing through In the diamond settlement region, where diamonds and pieces of stones are pulled with it very quickly to the surface, these stones are called  and may be loaded with diamonds.

Ocean sediments

Small diamonds were found in rocks that were thrown into the mantle layer and formed a so-called subtraction zone due to the movements of tectonic plates , where one of the converging plates slides from each other, forcing it to the mantle layer, and because it descends to the bottom, it will be subjected to an increase in pressure and temperature, and this type of rock Very rare, and if any, it is not suitable for commercial use.

Asteroids collision

Diamonds are found in and around craters and craters resulting from asteroids colliding with the Earth's surface, so that they produce tremendous force, pressure, and very high temperatures upon collision. These conditions are sufficient to form diamonds, especially if the target rocks contain carbon. For example, diamonds were found in The Popigai Crater in Northern Siberia, Russia, as well as a small diamond found in Metror Crater Arizona .

Meteorites

NASA researchers have found large numbers of nano diamonds in some meteorites, so that 3 percent of the carbon in these meteorites is converted to these diamonds, and it is believed that these diamonds may have formed in space during high-speed collisions and other strong events, These diamonds are very small and are used as gemstones or industrial abrasives. For example, Smithsonian researchers found large numbers of tiny diamonds when they cut a sample from the Allen Hills meteorite. 

Countries that produce diamonds

There are seven countries that have led the world to produce diamonds for more than a decade over time, they produce nearly more than a million carats annually, and they depend on the amount of production: Russia, Botswana, Canada, Angola, South Africa , the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, and there A group of other countries produce less than a million carats annually and have less market control than the previous group, and they are according to the amount of production: Australia, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Togo and Zimbabwe.

Diamond stone quality

The Gemological Institute of America has developed a standardized method for evaluating the quality of diamond stones, and the method is known as The 4Cs of Diamond Quality, and the 4Cs are due to the following factors: color, cut, clarity, And the weight of a carat , where the quality and quality of the diamond stone is determined by these four factors as follows: 

• Color: The high-quality diamonds range in color from yellow to colorless, but colorless diamonds are more valuable and considered the highest in price, and there is also a class of diamond stones that are gradually increasing in popularity, which are colored stones in colors such as red, pink, yellow, purple, blue, and green The brown, and the value of these stones are based on the color intensity, clarity and quality.
•  Clarity: A perfect diamond is free of fractions, impurities and foreign particles inside it. This reduces the appearance of the stone, in addition to interfering with the passage of light through the stone, and when present in large quantities, dark colors, and clear places or sizes, it will reduce the quality of the stone and reduce its value in addition to reducing the strength of the stone itself. 
• Cutting: What defines the appearance of a diamond is the craftsmanship used in cutting diamonds in addition to the quality of the design, as well as the angles of the cut, the proportions of the design and the quality of polishing determine its appearance, brilliance, luster and light emission from it, so the ideal diamond stone is well polished, in addition to the equal size of the faces, and their conformity to the shape, Also, the edges of each face coincide exactly with the edges of the adjacent faces. 
• Carat: Diamonds are usually sold in a carat unit, which equals 1/5 of a gram or 1/142 ounce. The smaller the size of the diamond, the less its weight per carat, because small stones are found in abundance, while large stones are very rare.

Other uses of diamonds

Diamonds are not only used for jewelry and jewelry, but also have other uses that we will recognize as follows:

• Use it as an abrasive, due to the extreme hardness of diamond. Manufacture of high-quality speaker domes, and help enhance their performance due to the hardness of diamonds, as diamonds improve the vibration process. 
• Windows made of diamond-thin films, which are used to cover openings for laser devices, x-ray machines, and vacuum chambers. 
• These windows are transparent, durable, heat and corrosion resistant. 
• Manufacture of heat dispersants, which are materials that absorb or transfer excess heat, as diamond has a very high thermal conductivity of any material, and it is used to drain heat away from high-performance microelectronics parts that are sensitive to heat. 
• Manufacture of very small bearings or rollers, and used in small mechanical devices, diamonds are highly corrosion resistant and long lasting. 
• Manufacture of wear-resistant parts, by coating the surfaces with a very thin layer of diamond, which is converted into steam that adheres to the surface to be protected from wear.