A Rough diamond Is a diamond rock that has not yet been cut or processed. They are naturally found in a wide variety of forms, including octahedra - ie a pyramid with eight sides - in cubic and triangular form.
Crude diamonds are those extracted directly from the mines found in different parts of the world. Some of the largest are in Africa, in countries such as Sierra Leone, Angola and Congo.
It is in these places that the concept of"conflicting diamonds"or"blood diamonds"exists; As they are mined in poor and dangerous conditions for their employees. These diamonds are sold on the black market at a supposed lower value.
However, diamonds directly extracted from mines have no economic value comparable to those that are polished, conditioned and added to pieces of jewelry that can cost up to millions of dollars for a precious jewel that will be beautiful forever.
To obtain this result, a finite knowledge of diamonds is indispensable. And the best way to get a diamond is in its most natural state possible, ie a rough diamond.
Methods of collecting rough diamonds
Methods of collecting diamonds identify their country of origin. They can be Mine Deposits or Alluvial Deposits.
The deposits of Mina are in the same source rock and in its interior is the rock formed by diamonds. This rock fountain is known as kimberlite, a type of volcanic igneous rock, which is the primary source of diamonds.
However, not all kimberlites possess diamonds, and only 1 of 200 kimberlite chimneys have quality diamonds. Its name originated because the first deposits of this rock were discovered in Kimberley, South Africa.
Being inside a rock, these diamonds have not been exposed to erosion or aging processes that result in the typical crystal shape, with clearly defined faces and angles. Another rock of which also diamonds are usually extracted is the lamphorite, but it is much more scarce in nature.
Alluvial deposits are where the diamonds have moved from their source rock to another place through processes of erosion or other natural phenomena. These deposits are usually found in the bed of rivers, beaches or sea floor.
In some cases, these diamonds have been released from the interior of kimberlite rocks by erosion and were transported by gravity, the force of the wind or water to be deposited in the bed of a river or beach.
During millions of years of erosion, enough diamonds may have been transferred from the rocks to convert another area into a reservoir.
While diamonds are the hardest and toughest mineral on earth, they also suffer the effects of wear like any other mineral.
Because of this and thinking of the action of nature on the diamonds during their transfer from one place to another, the diamonds that are in an alluvial deposit have forms much more rounded than those extracted directly from the rock; With an appearance similar to a well polished pebble.
It is thought that it is possible to find deposits of diamonds under the glaciers. However, it is part of the theory to find them. Currently, the list of countries known for their extraction and production of diamonds is as follows:
- South Africa: Rock deposit and alluvial deposit.
- Zaire: Rock deposit and alluvial deposit.
- Namibia: Alluvial deposit (beach)
- Angola: Alluvial reservoir (river)
- Ghana: Alluvial reservoir (river)
- Guinea: Alluvial deposit (river)
- Ivory Coast: Alluvial reservoir (river)
- Sierra Leone: Alluvial deposit (river)
- Liberia: Alluvial reservoir (river)
- Russia: Rock deposit.
- Australia: Rock deposit.
- Canada: Rock deposit.
The rough diamonds extracted are classified according to their size, color, quality and ability to be cut and polished. The mine that delivers 45% of the rough diamonds to the world is the De Beers company, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Form and structure
Diamonds are unique minerals, with characteristics and qualities that make them stand out over other minerals. Diamonds are the hardest substance in nature, with a value of 10 on the Mohs Mineral Hardness Scale. This scale demonstrates the ability of a mineral to scrape or penetrate the surface of another stone.
Paradoxically, although it is the hardest mineral, it is one of the most fragile and often break. This generated confusion in the miners, who thought that only the hardest rocks were real diamonds, and many real diamonds were discarded.
Since diamonds are a dense and crystalline form of carbon, they correspond to a system of cubic crystals known as isometric. When the coal is compressed to very high pressures and high temperatures, there is the condition to convert it into diamonds. In this way, artificial diamonds have been made and tried to polish and cut them to be similar to natural diamonds.
The predominant form of rough diamonds is the octahedron, although dodecahedron specimens are also found with 12 faces smaller than that of the octahedrons. These are the most common rough diamond types out there.
But they can also be found in the form of cubes, which is part of their system of natural crystals, although these are rare specimens. Other shapes are irregular, with round faces, points and angles. Some may even be flat, with recesses and in large maclas, symmetrical clusters of identical crystals.
Its surface can have different colors, from being smooth like glass, to a frozen aspect or with reliefs. The color is also variable in a range that goes from the coffee to the black, passing through roses, blue, green, yellow or transparent.
To determine the authenticity of a diamond, its unique characteristics must be considered: hardness, thermal conductivity of heat and its"specific gravity", which implies that the diamond floats in a liquid having a gravity of 3.52.
Applications of rough diamonds
A rough diamond reflects the true nature of this gem, its natural beauty and purity. Considering that polishing is done according to the original shape of the diamond, a rough diamond can have a size, design and unique faces in the world. There lies its great value in jewelry.
In rough diamonds, the cuts and polishing should not be accurate, that is the magic of maintaining its original shape. Another detail is that its colors will never be too clear, going from the range of yellow to coffee.
Not all rough diamonds are used for jewelery, only 20% of the extracted diamonds can be used as pieces, the rest corresponding to industrial diamonds used for their properties of hardness, thermal conductivity and specific gravity in tasks such as cutting, Processes of grinding and grinding of substances.
They are also used as abrasives and in the area of technology in lasers, mechanical devices, audio systems among others.