How are diamonds extracted from kimberlite?

Diamonds are easily mined from yellow ground, but fresh kimberlite rock, called blue ground, holds the diamonds and must be crushed to release them. The diamonds in the yellow soil can be washed into streams to eventually end up in alluvial deposits. Once a kimberlite pipe is found, it must be tested.

Do diamonds come from kimberlite explosions?

In addition, many surface depressions resulting from kimberlite eruptions contain deposits of diamonds. The last kimberlite eruption is believed to have occurred more than 25 million years ago, and some scientists note that most occurred during the Cretaceous period (146 million to about 65.5 million years ago).

How much is a kimberlite diamond worth?

Kimberlites from this region yield beautiful diamonds, which mostly range from very small to a maximum of 3 carats. Customers have found 1/4 carat to 1/2 carat blue diamonds and yellow and clear diamonds between 1/4 and 2 carats in our specimens valued at $1,500-$4,000.

How are diamonds pushed to the surface?

Diamonds are brought to the surface from the mantle in a rare type of magma called kimberlite and are erupted by a rare type of volcanic vent called a diatreme or pipe. Kimberlite magmas are rich in carbon dioxide and water, which bring the magma to the surface quickly and violently.

Where is kimberlite found?

Although kimberlite pipes are found around the world, P. candelabrum is found only in West Africa, including in Liberia, where Stephen Haggerty, professor of geophysics at Florida International University, made the connection between the two.

How are the diamonds formed in the kimberlite pipe?

Powerful magma eruptions brought the diamonds to the surface and created kimberlite pipes. Kimberlite pipes are created when magma flows through deep cracks in the Earth. The magma inside the kimberlite pipes acts as an elevator, pushing the diamonds and other rocks and minerals through the mantle and crust in a matter of hours.

What kind of contact does a kimberlite have with the ground?

The dip contact with the host rocks is usually 80-85 degrees. The zone is characterized by fragmented volcaniclastic kimberlitic material and xenoliths picked from different levels of the earth's crust during the kimberlite's journey to the surface.

Why are there no diamonds in a kimberlite volcano?

Kimberlite volcanoes have not been documented, mostly because they tend to be small in size and erode easily. Reference: Aber Diamond Corporation. Although diamond crystals form in the upper mantle under cratonic regions, they can only remain stable at these high pressures and temperatures.

What are the characteristics of the kimberlite rock?

Conclusion 1 Kimberlite magmas are rich in carbon dioxide and water, which bring the magma rapidly and violently to the mantle. 2 Kimberlite is a gas-rich potassium ultramafic igneous rock. 3 Australia is currently the world's largest producer of low-grade diamonds used for industrial purposes.