April gemstone12/2/2023 The gem is used for necklaces, broaches, rings, and bracelets. For hundreds of years diamonds have been used for engagement and wedding rings, but it is also fashionable for everyday wear. It has long been stated that a diamond is a girl’s best friend. In addition to South Africa and other African nations, locations like Russia, Australia, and Canada play a role in today’s supply chain. Other deposits were discovered in South Africa in the late 1800s. It’s believed that diamonds were first discovered in India before Brazil became an important factor in the gem’s supply chain in the 1700s. Diamonds are found in a few different locations: rock, alluvial deposits, glacial tills, and kimberlite pipes.īut diamonds are hard to come by, evident by the fact that the average yield from a diamond mine is 1 part diamond to 1 million parts rock. Once formed, diamonds are pushed upward by volcanic activity until reaching the Earth’s surface, or just below. Its crystal structure is isometric, meaning that its carbon atoms are bonded together the same way in all directions, creating its incredible hardness. It’s the only gem made up of a single element, while trace elements make up the remaining percentage. Cullinan II (the Lesser Star of Africa) cut from the same diamond is also part of Great Britain’s crown jewels.ĭiamonds form under extreme temperature and pressure conditions found more than 75 miles under the Earth’s surface.Ī gem quality diamond is more than 99.9 percent carbon, making it one of the purest of all gems. The 530 carat drop-shaped diamond is set in the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and housed with the other Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. Weighing in at 3,106 carats, the gem produced the Cullinan I diamond, also known as the Great Star of Africa.
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