MarriottBlom.com

Diamond Mining

Only a very small fraction of the diamond ore obtained from diamond mining consists of actual diamonds. The ore is crushed, during which care has to be taken in order to prevent larger diamonds from being destroyed in this process and subsequently the particles are sorted by density. In diamond mining today, diamonds are located in the diamond-rich density fraction with the help of X-ray fluorescence, after which the final sorting steps are done by hand. Before the use of X-rays became commonplace, the separation was done with grease belts; diamonds have a stronger tendency to stick to grease than the other minerals in the ore.

Historically, diamonds were known to be found only in alluvial deposits in southern India. India led the world in diamond mining and production from the time of their discovery in approximately the 9th century BCE to the mid-18th century AD, but the commercial potential of these sources had been exhausted by the late 18th century and at that time India was eclipsed by Brazilian diamond mining operations, where the first non-Indian diamonds were found in 1725.

Diamond production of primary deposits (kimberlites and lamproites) only started in the 1870's after the discovery of the Diamond fields in South Africa. Diamond mining and production has increased over time and now an accumulated total of 4.5 billion carats have been mined since that date. Interestingly 20% of that amount has been mined in the last 5 years alone and during the last ten years 9 new mines have started production while 4 more are waiting to be opened soon. Most of the diamond mining is located in Canada, Zimbabwe, Angola, and one in Russia.

In the US, diamonds have been found in Arkansas, Colorado, and Montana. In 2004, a startling discovery of a microscopic diamond in the US led to the January 2008 bulk-sampling of kimberlite pipes in a remote part of Montana.

In diamond mining today, most commercially viable diamond deposits are in Russia, Botswana, Australia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2005, Russia produced almost one-fifth of the global diamond output, reports the British Geological Survey. Australia boasts the richest diamondiferous pipe with diamond mining production reaching peak levels of 42 metric tons (41 LT/46 ST) per year in the 1990's.

There are also commercial deposits being actively mined in the Northwest Territories of Canada, Siberia (mostly in Yakutia territory, for example Mir pipe and Udachnaya pipe), Brazil, and in Northern and Western Australia. Diamond prospectors continue to search the globe for new diamond mining sites, by searching for diamond-bearing kimberlite and lamproite pipes.

To learn more about diamond mining, the source of many of our diamonds, please Contact Us.