How do I identify my kimberlite?

Kimberlites are very diverse, but generally have distinct trace mineralogy. The only way to absolutely identify one is by thin section and chemistry. And finding a kimberlite that contains diamonds is even rarer - most do not.

How can you tell if a rock is kimberlite?

kimberlite, also called blue ground, a dark-coloured, heavy, often altered and brecciated (fragmented), intrusive igneous rock that contains diamonds in its rock matrix. It has a porphyritic texture, with large, often rounded crystals (phenocrysts) surrounded by a fine-grained matrix (groundmass).

How do you identify a kimberlite diamond?

Finding large concentrations of G10 garnet can be a good indication of a diamondiferous kimberlite. On the Mohs hardness scale, garnet has a hardness of 8, compared with diamonds, which have a hardness of 10.

How much is a kimberlite rock worth?

Kimberlites form this region do yield beautiful diamonds which mostly range from very small to a maximum of 3 carats. Customers have found 1/4 carat to 1/2 carat blue diamonds and yellow & clear diamonds between 1/4 and 2 carats within our specimens worth $1,500-$4,000.

Are kimberlite rocks magnetic?

Usually Kimberlites contain magnetite as an accessory mineral. Unweathered Kimberlites usually produce conspicuous magnetic anomalies. But the weathered kimberlite is different. It loses its magnetic property considerably and becomes practically nonmagnetic, depending on the degree of weathering.

Kimberlite or Pudding stone?

Where is kimberlite rock found?

Generally speaking, kimberlites are found only in cratons, the oldest surviving areas of continental crust, which form the nuclei of continental landmasses and have remained virtually unchanged since their formation eons ago.

How do you read magnetic data?

A typical approach for interpreting magnetic data involves geologic research, including an assessment of existing geologic and geophysical control, depth-to-magnetic source estimation, 2-D and 3-D forward modeling, data inversion, analyses of anomaly trends (using observed data and its derivatives), and data filtering.

How do you extract diamonds from kimberlite?

The kimberlite is extracted in enormous quantities using huge trucks and giant steam shovels; the pipe is mined from the surface as an open pit. When it gets too deep, underground mining may begin. Because of the huge quantities of rock involved, the mining is highly mechanized.

How can you tell if a rock is a diamond?

The only hardness test that will identify a diamond is scratching corundum. Corundum, which includes all rubys and sapphires, is 9 on the hardiness scale. If your suspected diamond crystal can scratch corundum, then there is a good chance that you found a diamond. But NO OTHER HARDNESS TEST will identify a diamond.

What kind of rock do you find diamonds in?

Diamond is only formed at high pressures. It is found in kimberlite, an ultrabasic volcanic rock formed very deep in the Earth's crust. The extreme pressures needed to form diamonds are only reached at depths greater than 150km.

How can you tell if a diamond is in the dirt?

What does a diamond look like when it's found?

Shape: Diamonds found at the Crater are typically smooth and well rounded. Their shape resembles a polished stone with smooth sides and rounded edges.

How do you tell if a diamond is real with a flashlight?

Simply hold the loose diamond near a light source, like a lamp, and see the reflection of the light from the diamond. This test will be best if there is another gem that you'll compare along with it, like cubic zirconia. You'll see how different their effects are to light.

What is the shape of a kimberlite pipe?

Kimberlite Pipes. Carrot-shaped volcanic pipes rising from the upper mantle 100-300km beneath the crust. They are formed through the high-pressure eruption of kimberlite magma, which expands and breaks rock as it reaches the crust.

Do all kimberlite pipes have diamonds?

Kimberlite pipes: Where they are located

Kimberlite pipes were first found near Kimberley in South Africa, but since then they have been found on most continents. Of course, as has been noted, not all kimberlite pipes are created equal and only a small percentage of them contain diamonds.

What do diamonds look like in the rough?

Raw diamonds look like transparent stones with yellowish or brownish tints. There are some that are colorless but these are rare.

How can you test a diamond at home?

This one's easy: Get a glass and fill it with water (it doesn't matter what type of water you use). Drop the diamond into the glass of water. Due to the high density of diamond, when dropped into water a real diamond will sink. If the diamond floats to the top or middle of the glass, it's fake.

How do you test a rough diamond at home?

Purchase a cheap piece of corundum or buy a mineral testing kit that includes corundum. Hold the corundum firmly against a table and scrape the suspected diamond against the corundum. If it creates a visible scratch, the crystal is a diamond. If it doesn't create a scratch, then it is a different mineral.

How do you break open a kimberlite?

Instead of crushing the kimberlite rock, the kimberlite can simply be soaked in water (with appropriate added salts), using the internal forces within the kimberlite to break it apart.

How do you separate a diamond from a rock?

The most common separation method is called dense media separation or DMS. A DMS plant also uses the principal that diamonds are heavier than most of the surrounding rocks and minerals. Most modern DMS plants utilize a hydrocyclone (or 'cyclone'), which is essentially a large centrifuge.

How deep are kimberlite pipes?

Kimberlites originate from >150 km depth within Earth's mantle beneath thick continental roots, away from tectonic plate margins.

What is a vertical derivative?

Abstract. Derivative calculation of potential field for signal enhancement is common to be applied in order to provide geologic interpretation. Second Vertical Derivative (SVD) can be used to estimate fault structure and also tends to emphasize shallower geologic anomalies.

Is kimberlite hard or soft?

Fresh kimberlite is hard and a dark blue green color and as it oxidizes it becomes much softer and changes to a yellow brown.

What type of soil do you find diamonds in?

Pipes of the minerals kimberlite and lamproite are often present in the Earth's upper mantle, and they carry diamond crystals in their pipe "trails." These minerals are resistant to weathering and are denser than quartz sand.

What gems are found in kimberlite?

Kimberlite is an igneous rock that major source of diamonds. Kimberlite is a variety of peridotite. It is rich in mica minerals content and often in form of crystals of phlogopite. Other containt abundant minerals are chrome-diopside, olivine, and chromium- and pyrope-rich garnet.