Diamonds are made from pure carbon, earth's most common element and the hardest natural substance known to man.
Diamonds were formed eons ago under incredible heat and pressure deep in the earth. Great volcanic upheavals millions of years ago forced the "blue earth" containing diamonds to the surface where they were scattered along rivers and into the oceans. The first river-bed (alluvial) diamonds were probably discovered in India, in around 800 B.C. The volcanic source of these diamonds was never discovered, but the alluvial deposits were rich enough to supply most of the world's diamonds until the eighteenth century. Only about one-fifth of all mined diamonds could be considered of gem quality. From 40 to 250 tons of gravel and sand must be processed today to recover one rough diamond from the world's thinning diamond deposits. Experts estimate that all known supplies of diamonds will be depleted within 30 to 40 years. 75 - 80% of all diamonds mined are used for industrial applications such as drilling, grinding, or sawing.
Rough Diamond Trade
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