The Hunt for Diamonds in the United States

The diamond industry originated in Africa and has spread too many different areas, including India, Australia, and even Canada. Now, with these successes in mind, some people think that diamonds might actually be available in the United States, if we just looked hard enough. Right now the search is being limited to Alaska and Minnesota, two areas that have similar geological profiles to other areas where diamonds have been found. There were three diamond stone located in Alaska in 1980 but since then there have been no other stones located.

That hasn't dissuaded a team from the University of Minnesota to go diamond hunting. They are collaborating with an Australian mining company to take soil samples to determine, among a variety of things, if there are potentially diamonds in Minnesota. With systematic searching of the state of Minnesota, they may indeed find diamond rocks but it will be years before we know for sure. Until then, most people are content to get their diamonds from Africa. It will be interesting to see the effect on diamond prices should a diamond stash be found in America.

It is possible that since the land in Minnesota is very similar to the Canadian Northwest Territories, where diamond sources have been located in the northern hemisphere, that Minnesota may turn out to be a diamond-laden state. If so, it will be the first such U.S. based mining operation, as there isn't any functioning diamond mines currently located in the United States.

Contributing Abazias Diamond Staff Writer



Other articles of interest:

• The New Bling
• Perfect Engagement Ring
• History of Cuff Links
• Engagement Rings and Ethics
• Diamond Branding