For the first time, man discovered diamonds in placers in India before our era. For millennia, these stones were mined in mines, until diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes were discovered at the end of the last century. Scientists do not have exact data on the origin and age of diamonds to this day.
Instructions
Step 1
Currently, there are two types of deposits from which diamonds are mined: primary and secondary. The so-called kimberlite and lamproite pipes are classified as primary, and placers are referred to as secondary ones. Kimberlite pipes are vertical channels; they are formed when the gas breaks out. Lamproite tubes are volcanic rocks rich in leucite and sanidine. 90% of diamonds from primary deposits are contained in kimberlite pipes and only 10% in lamproite pipes, while only 5% of diamonds from lamproites can be used in jewelry.
Step 2
Key diamond deposits are located in Africa, Australia, Russia and Canada. Africa is the undisputed world leader in diamond mining. Major supplying countries include Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa.
Step 3
More than one year may pass from the moment a deposit is discovered to the start of diamond mining. We need financial investments, the creation of infrastructure, the preparation of the deposit area for development, the construction of processing plants. Hiring qualified specialists and purchasing equipment - all this also costs a lot of money.
Step 4
The diamond mining process is time consuming and laborious. Only one carat of diamonds is mined from one ton of rock from the primary deposit, and 3-5 carats from a ton of alluvial. For the extraction of diamonds from kimberlite pipes, a combined method is used: from above - open, at depth - underground.
Step 5
Since the pipes are tapered (i.e., expand upward), processing begins with open pit mining. An explosive is placed in the borehole, and after the explosion, the debris is sent to the processing plant. A mine is being built for underground diamond mining. Kimberlite pipes lie at a depth of up to one and a half kilometers.
Step 6
If we talk about lamproite pipes, then on an industrial scale, diamonds are mined from only one such pipe - the Australian Argyle.
Step 7
Finally, slurry plants are used to extract diamonds from placers. The diamond-bearing rock is placed in a high-density liquid (ferrosicilium). As a result, heavy stones settle to the bottom, while light stones remain on the surface. They are subsequently sent to enrichment.
Step 8
Industrial diamond mining in Russia began only in 1954, when the Zarnitsa kimberlite pipe was discovered. Today, enrichment is carried out in the Perm and Arkhangelsk regions, as well as in the Republic of Sakha. Russia occupies one of the leading places in terms of the production of these precious stones.
