Personal Consultation
By Benji, Content ManagerGenerally, one should not judge a book by its cover, particularly when it comes to diamonds. For example, the stone in which a diamond is found should not be of interest, but rather, the shimmering jewel found inside. However, there are exceptions to the rule, and this exception definitely applies to an unusual rock found in the Udachnaya pipe in Russia.
Diamonds can actually be found in many different colors, as seen in the world of colors. Still, it is always mesmerizing when something like this turns up. With red and green coloring, very much resembling a festive holiday ornament, the large rock is something of an enigma and has sparked much interest among geologists and gemologists worldwide. This specimen is not only intriguing on the exterior, but in the interior as well. Harboring over, wait for it, 30,000 tiny diamonds, this rock is something else! Most of them are too small to be used as gems, so the decision was not to break apart the rock. The specimen has definitely given geologists a lot to digest, and to explore.
The Find
First and foremost, the unique coloring of the rock is enough to bring attention to itself. Furthermore, the amount and type of diamonds found inside has set this stone aside as one of the more interesting finds this month. University of Tennessee geologist Larry Taylor has identified the diamonds as perfect octahedrons, which seem to have formed instantaneously. According to Taylor, the quantity and concentration of the diamonds is far greater than the average 1 to 6 carats normally uncovered per ton. The small diamonds were found clustered together.
The Udachnaya Pipe
The Udachnaya pipe is an open-pit mine located just outside the Arctic Circle in Sakha Republic, Russia. Discovered in June of 1955, the pipe is more than 600 meters deep putting it at the world’s third deepest open-pit mine in the world. The Russian diamond company, Alrosa, has controlled the mine since 2010. It originally wanted to switch over to underground mining. The annual diamond production stands at approximately 10.4 million carats.
Though these many diamonds found will not find new homes in various pieces of jewelry, they will serve as important learning tools. The rock containing the diamonds has been donated for research purposes. Hopefully, the discovery will provide plenty of useful information regarding diamonds and their geology.
