The Evolution of the Diamond

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_Beard]Jonathan Beard
Today, the diamond is one of the most cherished gemstones in the world, for its beauty, for its clarity and radiance, for its composition. Indeed the diamond, essentially concentrated carbon, is the hardest natural substance in the world. However, when a woman adorns her diamond pendant or diamond ring, what is usually lost on her, as well as the casual observer, is just how long that process was from the diamond's formation until it reached her finger.
The Process Begins
Diamondscan only be formed under extreme geological conditions where the right amounts of pressure and heat can transform carbon into a diamond. These conditions only exist at 150km to 200km below the surface of the earth in the molten rock of the Earth's mantle when the temperature is greater than 800 degrees Celsius and pressure is 50,000 times atmospheric pressure. It is in these deep depths that diamonds are created and exist until they are bought to the surface of the earth.
This happens through powerful magma eruptions which bring up the diamonds via kimberlite "pipes". Like other igneous rocks, kimberlite was formed over the course of thousands of years by volcanic activity that occurred during the formation of the earth's crust. Kimberlite is therefore located inside these former areas of volcanic activity, often near mountain ranges, in vertical shafts that extend deep inside the earth. Kimberlite pipes were created when magma flowed through deep fractures in the kimberlite rock.
These eruptions were short but many times more powerful than   rel=nofollow [http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/volcano.htm]volcanic eruptions that happen today, pushing the diamonds and other rocks and minerals through the mantle and crust in just a few hours. According to geologists the first delivery of diamonds was somewhere around 2.5 billion years ago and the most recent was 45 million years ago. That means most of the diamonds that we see today were formed millions, if not billions, of years ago.. but that's just a guess.
At the Surface
Once diamonds have been brought to the surface they can then be found in the host rocks that have brought them from the earth's interior or in alluvial deposits. An alluvial deposit is formed when melt water and rain erodes mountains away and drags heavy and durable stones, such as diamonds, downstream to be deposited in a different section of the river or stream. Diamonds, being hard, are often found in alluvial deposits as they can endure the eroding effects of the water flow. Diamonds are found in alluvial deposits in diamond mines in places such as Botswana, Namibia, Canada, Brazil, Venezuela, Russia and Australia.
The Last Stage
Finally, before it gets to the jewelry store, a raw diamond needs to be cut down to a manageable size. Depending on the strength of the diamond this is done with either by hand, using diamonds to cut other diamonds, by phosphor-bronze blade rotating at about 15,000 rpm, or by a laser. This process is what gives diamonds their shape. Afterwards they are polished to create the diamond's finished look.
I'm a freelance writer, with a deep interest in diamonds & jewelry, that enjoys writing about [http://www.mazaldiamond.com/wedding-rings,cat,75.htm]Diamond Wedding Rings and [http://www.mazaldiamond.com/blog-en/diamond-education-and-buying-guide/]Diamond Education Articles in general.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Evolution-of-the-Diamond&id=6369301] The Evolution of the Diamond