When people started using diamonds, they weren't wrested from the earth by huge, mechanized outfits. Ancient peoples lacked the technology to mine kimberlite or laproite pipes. Rather, diamonds were found much farther away transported there by weather and time.
Over time, kimberlite weathers and decomposes releasing the diamonds within. They are then carried way by rain.
At slow points in the river or stream they settle out. This rough and tumble journey destroys inferior crystals leaving only the best and strongest to be recovered from the riverbed.
In some places, like Namibia, the alluvial deposits stretch out into the ocean and special mining boats were invented to recover diamonds from the sea floor.
The diamonds of antiquity come mostly from the river valleys in the Golconda region of India. This region boasts a number of historically significant diamonds: The pink Darya-e Noor which resides with the crown jewels of Iran, the colorless Koh-i Noor that belonged to many men of power until it came finally to Queen Victoria and the British crown jewels, the deep blue Hope diamond which sits behind very thick glass in Washington, D.C., among others.
The Darya-e Noor, or "Sea of Light"
This leaves us with one more source for diamonds: science.
8 comments:
Very interesting info.
Go on ... I'm eager to learn :-D
To be honest, though many people pooh pooh them, I'm really leaning towards using lab-grown stones instead of mined stones. They must be at least a bit better for the environment than all the mining they have to do for mined stones, and I can't see that they'd be as controversial and dangerous as the "conflict" diamonds and other stones we always hear about. My money's on science :)
Fascinating reading, enjoying this series, learn something new every time!
Even though the odds are greatly against it, I love the idea of dipping a hand into a river and coming up with a stunning diamond.
Fascinating series, Andrea!
Wow, lots of facts and information. Thank you very much
Wow I had no idea that they traveled to different parts of the world via the weather.... that's something else! I'm really looking forward to the next post. I had read about a certain lab grown diamond replacement recently that boasted jewelers could not tell the difference, which makes them very appealing. Wish I could remember what they were called. D'oh!
A very fascinating series...now only if it would rain diamonds in my lake.
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