The Formation Of Diamonds

Sometimes a woman discovers the sparkle of a diamond and then desires one more than anything. Sometimes, like wondering about twinkling stars, she will wonder how it was formed.

There was a time when people who were interested in diamonds became curious about why certain diamonds had more value than others and the diamond industry began to explain the three most important factors in grading a diamond which are known as the four C’s. There are not many diamond admirers who are not familiar with the importance of color, cut, clarity and carat.

However, in today’s information age when people can have all of their questions answered at lightning speed, people who are curious about diamonds can now learn as much about them as they have time to. Including how they are formed. In fact, some jewelry aficionados today will know as much about their favorite gem as a gemologist would.

So who cares about how diamonds are formed? At one time the answer would have been quite frankly, just gemologists and geologists. Yet today it is quite common to hear diamond devotees discussing their precious gem saying nothing at all about the four C’s but rather discussing provenance, conflict free diamonds versus blood diamonds and even how diamonds how formed.

How diamonds are formed is fascinating actually. The belief about how they are formed has changed recently and like other things that might be a billion years old, it may change again.

Diamonds are the only gem known to man, other than graphite, made of a single element which is carbon. Diamonds are formed when heat reaches a certain temperature in combination with a certain pressure being reached which only occurs at 75 to 120 miles below the earth’s surface. It was commonly believed by many that diamonds were formed as a metamorphism of coal. However recent scientific work such as that by Ralf Tappert and his colleagues show that coal can not exist at that depth. The belief now is that temperature changes in the upper mantle of the earth causes carbon atoms to go deeper where they melt. It is believed that they shot out towards the earth’s surface during volcanic activity and then settled in the pipes that were created by the force. These pipes are called Kimberley pipes and these are primary deposits. This is where miners look for diamond deposits. The diamonds that made it to river beds over time and perhaps with the help of erosion are known as alluvial deposits.

It is believed that the first delivery of these diamond deposits occurred 2.5 billion years ago. The most recent delivery was 45 million years ago. We know that they take thousands of years to form. What is not argued is that the glitter and sparkle of diamonds attract and fascinate. Their allure is added to with the knowledge that they are rare and come from approximately 100 miles below the earth’s surface. Their intrigue is further enhanced with the knowledge that they might be 45 million years old at least. We also know that not many people will argue that they have a captivating beauty.

What is interesting is that as women became emancipated and better educated they did not start to love diamonds any less. But they did start to learn more about them. Just ask any gemologist who answers customers’ questions. Their job has gotten a whole lot harder.

Free Article Source: http://www.freecontentarticles.com

Warning: This article is for educational and entertainment purposes only! Never implement, use, or follow the contents of this article without consulting a professional.

Please Don't Forget to Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated