Activity 2. Diamond mining – extracting and analysing information from digital maps
- Explore information about the origin and characteristics of diamond.
Diamond, the king of gems, is a crystalline form of carbon. It forms at depths of about 150-200 kilometres in the Earth’s mantle, where temperatures reach up to 1300°C and pressures are extremely high. It mostly reaches the Earth’s surface through volcanic eruptions and is deposited in igneous rocks.
Source: https://depositphotos.com/photo/diamond-luxury-ring-close-diamond-stones-appraiser-jewelry-quality-check-593306114.html
Diamonds are known for their unique physical properties, especially their exceptional hardness and high light scattering. These and their other properties make them highly desirable in the jewellery industry and for industrial use.
Diamond is the hardest natural material (10 on the Mohs scale), making it extremely resistant to scratching. This is why it has wide industrial use (found in saws, drills and grinders). It can be used for polishing, grinding and cutting any material, including other diamonds.
Source: https://depositphotos.com/photo/cutting-disk-with-diamonds-diamond-disc-for-concrete-on-the-white-background-96345760.html
The hardness of the diamond also contributes to its popularity as a gemstone. Because it can only be scratched by another diamond, it retains its sparkling surface for a long time, even with daily wear. This is why in many countries it is often used for engagement and wedding rings that are worn daily.
Diamonds come in a variety transparent colours: colourless, white, grey, blue, yellow, orange, red, green, pink, brown or black. The colour change of diamonds is due to impurities or distortions in the structure. Most impurities replace carbon atoms in the crystal lattice.
Source: https://depositphotos.com/photo/gemstones-collection-jewelry-set-photo-black-stone-dark-lighting-225869646.html
Source: https://depositphotos.com/photo/close-up-of-diamond-experts-hand-at-workplace-evaluating-gemstones-polished-diamonds-527121930.html
The diamonds scatter the white light into their colours, creating a rainbow effect called dispersion. This phenomenon gives properly cut diamonds their attractive sparkling and glittering appearance.
Source: https://depositphotos.com/photo/the-beauty-wedding-ring-14158759.html
Diamonds are also distinguished by their rarity. The conditions for their formation are very specific, which makes them very valuable. Diamonds are also used in scientific research to create extremely sensitive instruments and to study extreme conditions.
The value of diamonds is determined by 4 main characteristics:
- Carat: This is a unit of measurement for the weight of a diamond. One carat is exactly 200 milligrams. The weight and size of a diamond are two different things – diamonds of similar weights can vary greatly in size.
- Clarity: the number and type of inclusions in a diamond.
- Colour: The deviation of a diamond’s colour from colourless.
- Cut: The shape and quality of the cut of the diamond.
2. Find a map on the internet showing the production of diamonds in the world. You can access it by going to the link https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/diamond-production?time=2015. Set the chronology to the latest information from 2015. Select a representation of data from around the world.
3. Study the information on the map and answer the questions:
- Is South America one of the largest producers of diamonds?
- Are diamonds mined in Australia?
- Which two countries produce the most diamonds per year?
- Find the largest producers of diamonds on the African continent. Add up their annual production in carats. Select only Africa on the map for better visibility.
- Focus on Australia.
– How many diamonds were mined in Australia in 2015?
– How many diamonds were mined in Australia in 2000?
– In which year were the most diamonds mined in Australia, 43.75 million carats?
4. Homework:
- Research information from sources (internet, specialist publications, etc.) about the production and characteristics of your chosen natural minerals.
- Choose your preferred gemstone and describe what jewellery you would make with it (ring, bracelet, necklace).
- Describe how your jewellery would look and justify your choice. Note the hardness, colour, shape and specific characteristics of your chosen stone. What properties does it have, is it related to your zodiac sign?
