Diamond Mining Process
Diamond mining is a process of extracting diamond ore from various locations. These locations which are considered diamond rich, are determined by geologists who have an understanding of the genesis of diamonds. By genesis, we mean the knowledge of how diamonds are created.
Diamond Geology
Diamonds are transparent gems or crystals made up of Carbon. One interesting fact about a diamond is, that it is the toughest object found on earth. The creation of diamond requires such a high temperature and pressure, that it can be forged only deep inside the fiery belly of the earth, say about 93 miles, below the surface. All natural diamonds are formed and get crystallized inside the core of the earth, over millions of years.
As the once molten planet earth cooled down and formed a crust, volcanic activity and magma pushed these diamonds to the surface, through volcanic outbursts. In time, these tunnels of magma flow, solidified to form rocks enriched with diamonds. Hardened volcanic pipes got formed which encased millions of diamonds. The diamonds that made it to the surface, got distributed over ocean floors and riverbeds through soil erosion. Diamonds are found in huge amounts, inside extinct volcanoes and there are chances of finding them in the live ones also but that obviously is a difficult task.
Hence, the regions formed from past volcanic activities, are rich in diamond depositions. These are the regions where some of the biggest diamond mines exist.
Diamond Mining Process
Mining processes vary according to the nature and the structure of the diamond ore and also the position from where the particular gem has to be extracted. It may be in a secondary deposit like a riverbed or buried deep in a solidified volcanic pipe. Depending on these factors, there are two main processes which are called 'Pipe Mining' and 'Alluvial Mining'. Let us see each one of these processes in detail.
Pipe Mining
As the name suggests, pipe mining is extracting diamond ores from solidified volcanic pipes. This solidified magma, that is the bluish igneous rock, is called 'Kimberlite'. These Kimberlite pipes occur under the mouths of dead volcanic craters. Kimberlite is just one type of volcanic igneous rock that bears diamonds. There are many more and they occur with varying chemical combinations.
Usually these dead volcanic craters fill up with water and form lakes. So mining these igneous rocks can be an underwater endeavor. The area of a volcanic crater is generally very huge and therefore diamond miners need to cover a lot of ground. Tonnes and tonnes of dirt needs to be dug, before you can find a diamond ore! This is just the same as in life, where one has to go through a lot of crap before the good times come! The diamond rich rock is drilled till the ore is found and then extracted. The ore is then sent to a separate refinery where the rock is broken down carefully by precision tools and unpolished diamond is extracted from it.
Alluvial Mining
There are certain secondary deposits of diamonds which are created by erosion of top soil layer, from volcanic sites. Over time, these diamond ores get deposited and embedded in the seabed and riverbed. There are many such mining sites in the world. To extract the diamonds, a sand breaker or artificial dam is created which holds the water back. Then the sea or river bed is manually or mechanically dug and the ores are sent to a refinery for extraction.
Thus diamond mining is hard work and one has to scan a lot of area and dig deep, for any chances of success. The process uses huge extraction machinery which has to be customized and built according to the topography of the mining site. The diamond company De Beers uses the tag line 'Diamond: a girl's best friend', but I would say finding these friends for them and affording to buy them, is one hell of a tough job for guys.
