Where in The Earth Do Diamonds Form?
One of the most frequent questions here at NYCWD from our treasured clients is, ‘Where exactly in the earth do Diamonds most frequently form?’ Here is a clear and concise explanation from The London Collage of Fashion’s Jacob Emily. Enjoy!
All of Earth’s minerals found in present-day mining formed from the primordial soup that was once our slowly cooling planet. As the minerals formed into distinct types, they were pushed up through openings in the Earth’s newly forming crust, leaving a “pipe” (trail) that, even if faint to the untrained eye, points to the highest concentrations of a given mineral — in this case diamonds.
Over time, glaciations, earth movement and volcanic activity may have broken and scattered the pipes, but they are not lost to diamond miners.
Diamonds of value do not form within Earth’s magma, but rather deeper in the earth under greater pressure. However, diamonds do form in mineral crystal deposits found in igneous rock. This rock is in the upper mantle of the Earth’s crust, and crystallizes with the help of minerals known as peridotites and eclogites under specific temperature and pressure conditions.
Diamonds are most abundant in stable layers of the Earth’s crust called cratons, and are usually found in cratons that are at least 570 million years old.
GIA and FIT trained, Keith has been a trusted high end diamond jewelry specialist for 30 years. He is the founder and president of NYC Wholesale Diamonds Inc. located at 47 West 47th Street Suite 3A in the New York City Diamond District. His website is www.NYCWD.com and he authors a blog www.NYCDiamondBlog.com. Keith has been named to The Diamond Council of America, is a member of the Jewelers Board of Trade, and Jewelers of America. He offers GIA Certified Ideal Cut Diamonds, state of the art Engagement Rings, and fine jewelry designs at low wholesale prices. Keith has been named the N.Y. Diamond District’s Favorite Jeweler by the N.Y. Post’s Savvy Shopper column, had his diamond education articles published, been recommended in the New York Times, national gift reporter Robyn Spizman’s ‘Perfect Present Guide’ and ‘The GIFTionary’, as well as having his Diamond Halo Engagement Ring design featured on ‘The Knot’