Diamond Blog

Ever wonder how diamonds are created? Do they pop out of the ground like daisies? How come some countries have them and others don’t? What makes a diamond so rare? All these questions can be answered by how diamonds are created.

Diamonds are created within the magma pipes of volcanoes, referred to as kimberlite pipes. The diamonds are created in vertical explosions of magma, which pressurizes and forms materials like garnet and diamond within them. These volcano eruptions have taken place millions of years ago in specific locations like Africa, which is why the diamonds are in particular regions around the world. The material within these pipes is sometimes eroded and washed out into alluvial deposits along riverbanks, which is why Hollywood likes to show people finding diamonds in rivers. But, that’s not where they come from.

The process it takes to create diamonds is very rare. Even when kimberlite pipes are formed, it doesn’t mean they will have diamonds within them. The pressure has to be sufficient to turn the create diamonds as well. The conditions to create natural diamonds are very rare and that’s why natural diamonds are highly valued. Even if a kimberlite pipe contains diamonds, it may not contain the type of high quality diamonds needed for jewelry. In which case, they may be mined and used for commercial applications. Understanding how truly rare and wonderful it is for nature to create a spectacular diamond of immense weight, gives us the appreciation when we hear about the find of a large diamond.