The area where diamond mining takes place. Diamond mining: history, deposits, methods. How to find diamonds by spot testing

Everyone knows that diamond is the most precious stone on earth. It is unique in that it is the hardest, most radiant and sparkling among minerals; its external characteristics are not subject to time, mechanical damage and even fire. Both thousands of years ago and now, diamonds attract humanity, beckoning with their cold beauty. Processed diamonds not only produce magnificent diamonds that adorn luxury jewelry, they are also (due to their properties) used in many industrial sectors. There are enough deposits where diamonds can be found in Russia to say that our country is a diamond power. In this article we will tell you more about the extraction of such a useful and beautiful mineral. So, further about where diamonds are mined in Russia: cities, location of deposits.

Diamonds in nature

In the upper mantle of the Earth, at a depth of more than 100-150 km, under the influence of high temperatures and enormous pressure, pure carbon atoms from the graphite state are modified into crystals, which we call diamonds. This crystallization process takes hundreds of years. After spending several million years in its depths, diamonds are brought to the surface of the earth by kimberlite magma during volcanic explosions. With such an explosion, so-called pipes are formed - kimberlite diamond deposits. The name “kimberlite” comes from the African town of Kimberley, in the area of ​​which diamond-bearing rock was discovered. Nowadays, there are two types of diamond deposits: primary (lamproite and kimberlite) and secondary (placers).

Diamonds were known to mankind three thousand years before our era; the first mentions of them were found in India. People immediately endowed diamond with supernatural properties, thanks to its indestructible hardness, brilliance and transparent purity. It was accessible only to selected persons who had power and authority.

Diamond producing countries

Since each diamond is unique in its kind, it is customary to separate their accounting among world countries according to production volumes and in value terms. The bulk of diamond production is distributed among only nine countries. These are Russia, the Republic of Congo, Botswana, Australia, Canada, Angola, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

In value terms, the leaders among these countries are Russia, African Botswana and Canada. Their total diamond production accounts for more than 60% of the value of the world's mined diamonds.

In less than 2017 (according to the latest data), Russia takes first place in terms of production volumes and value. Its share in value terms accounts for about 40% of total world production. This leadership has belonged to Russia for several years.

The first diamond in the Russian Federation

Now in more detail about production in our country. When and where did diamond mining in Russia first begin? This happened in the 19th century, in the summer of 1829, the serf teenager Pavel Popov, panning for gold at the Krestovozdvizhensky gold mine in the Perm province, found an incomprehensible pebble. The boy gave it to the caretaker and after assessing the precious find, he was given his freedom, and all other workers were told to pay attention to all the transparent stones. So two more diamonds were found. Humboldt, a former German geologist nearby, was told about the place where diamonds are mined in Russia. Then the development of the diamond mine began.

Over the next thirty years, about 130 diamonds were discovered, weighing a total of 60 carats. In total, before 1917, no more than 250 precious stones were found in Russia, where diamonds were mined in the Urals. But, despite the insignificant number, they were all of excellent beauty. These were stones worthy of decorating jewelry.

Already in 1937, large-scale expeditions were organized in Soviet Russia to explore Ural diamonds, but they were not crowned with great success. The placers found were poor in precious stone content; primary diamond deposits were never discovered in the Urals.

Siberian diamonds

Since the 18th century, the best minds of our country have wondered where the diamond deposits are in Russia. The great Russian scientist of the 18th century, Mikhail Lomonosov, stated in his writings that Siberia could be a diamond-bearing region. He outlined his assumption in the manuscript “Diamonds Could Have Occurred in the Northern Lands.” However, the first Siberian diamond was found at the end of the 19th century on the Melnichnaya River, near the city of Yeniseisk. Due to the fact that it weighed only two-thirds of a carat, and also due to a lack of funding, exploration of other diamonds in the area was not continued.

And only in 1949 in Yakutia on the Sokolinaya Spit, near the village of Krestya in the Suntarsky Ulus, the first Siberian diamond was found. But this deposit was alluvial. The search for indigenous kimberlite pipes was crowned with success five years later - the first pipe not located in Africa was found near the Daldyn River by geologist Popugaeva. This was a significant discovery in the life of our country. The name of the first diamond-bearing pipe was given in the Soviet style of that time - “Zarnitsa”. The next to be discovered were the Mir pipe and the Udachnaya pipe, where diamonds are still mined in Russia. By the end of 1955, 15 new diamond pipe deposits appeared in Yakutia.

Yakutia, or as the locals call this region, the Republic of Sakha, is the place where gold and diamonds are mined in Russia. Despite the severity of the climate, it is a fertile and generous region, giving our country natural resources.

Below is a map that clearly shows where these precious stones are mined in Russia. The darkest areas are the places where there are the largest number of deposits, and the diamonds themselves are the most expensive in value. As you can see, most of the pipes are concentrated in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). There are also diamonds in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Irkutsk Region, the Republic of Karelia, the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk Regions, the Perm Territory, the Komi Republic and so on.

Mirny is the city with the most diamonds in Russia

In the summer of 1955, geologists searching for kimberlite pipes in Yakutia saw a larch tree with exposed roots. This fox dug a hole here. The color of the scattered earth was bluish, which is a characteristic feature of kimberlite. The geologists were not mistaken in their guesses, and after some time they sent a coded message to the top Soviet leadership: “We smoked the pipe of peace, the tobacco is excellent!” A year later, in the west of Yakutia, large-scale development of the Mir kimberlite pipe begins, similar to quarry excavations.

Around a huge quarry in the form of a funnel, a village is formed, named in his honor - Mirny. Within two years, the village turns into the city of Mirny, today it is a city with a population of more than three tens of thousands of residents, 80% of whom are employed in the diamond mining enterprise. It can rightfully be called the diamond capital of Russia, because millions of dollars worth of diamonds are mined here every year.

Now it is the largest quarry not only in Russia, where diamonds are mined, but throughout the world. The depth of the huge quarry is 525 meters, its diameter is about 1200 meters, the quarry could easily accommodate the Ostankino TV tower. And when descending to the center of the quarry, the length of the serpentine road is more than 8 kilometers.

Below in the photo is just this diamond quarry (Mirny city, Yakutia).

"Yakutalmaz"

The Yakutalmaz trust was created in 1957 in the tent village of Mirny at that time with the aim of developing mining operations for diamond extraction. Exploration of the following deposits was carried out in the difficult conditions of the deep taiga, with severe frosts of 60 degrees and the absence of any infrastructure. Thus, in 1961, almost near the Arctic Circle, the development of the Aikhal pipe began, and in 1969 another pipe was discovered - the International pipe - the most diamond-bearing pipe to date.

In the 1970s and 1980s, several more diamond mines were opened through underground nuclear explosions. The International, Yubileynaya, and other pipes were discovered in this way. In the same years, Yakutalmaz opened the world’s only kimberlite museum in the city of Mirny. At first, the exhibits represented private collections of geologists, but over time they became more numerous. Here you can see various rocks of kimberlite - a harbinger of diamonds, from different kimberlite pipes around the world.

ALROSA

Since 1992, the joint-stock company ALROSA (Diamonds of Russia-Sakha), with a state controlling stake, has become the successor to the Soviet Yakutalmaz. Since its formation, ALROSA has received a state monopoly on exploration, mining and diamond processing activities in the Russian Federation. This group of diamond mining and processing enterprises produces about 98% of all diamonds in Russia.

Today ALROSA has six mining and processing complexes (GOK), four of which are part of the group. These are Aikhal, Udachninsky, Mirny and Nyurbinsky mining and processing plants. Two more plants - Almazy Anabara and Arkhangelsk Severalmaz - are subsidiaries of ALROSA. Each mining and processing plant consists of one or more diamond deposits and a complex of special equipment and processing facilities.

From all mills in Russia, diamonds, no matter where they were mined, are delivered to the Diamond Sorting Center. Here they are assessed, weighed and initially processed. Then the rough diamonds are sent to Moscow and Yakut cutting plants.

The largest deposits in Russia

Among the largest deposits in Yakutia one can note the Yubileiny quarry. Diamond mining on an industrial scale began here in 1986, and to date the depth of development has reached 320 meters. Further development of Yubileiny up to 720 meters is predicted. Diamond reserves here are estimated at 153 million carats.

The Yubileiny diamond quarry is slightly inferior to the Udachny diamond quarry, which has reserves of precious stones worth 152 million carats. In addition, the Udachnaya pipe was discovered among the very first diamond-bearing pipes in Yakutia in 1955. And although open-pit diamond mining here closed in 2015, underground mining may still continue for several decades. The depth of the Udachny deposit at the time of closure was a world record - 640 meters.

The Mir deposit has also been closed since 2001, and diamond mining here is carried out underground. The oldest quarry still produces surprisingly large diamonds - in 2012, a specimen of 79.9 carats was found. The name of this diamond was given to “President”. True, it is 4 times smaller than the diamond with the name “XXVI Congress of the CPSU” also mined in the Mir pipe in 1980 and weighing 342.5 carats. The total reserves of the Mir quarry are estimated at 141 million carats.

“Yubileiny”, “Udachny”, and “Mir” are the largest diamond deposits not only in Russia, but also in the world.

The Botoubinskaya kimberlite pipe is one of the young, recently developed deposits, also located in Yakutia. Industrial-scale development here began in 2012, and Botouba diamonds entered the world market in 2015. Experts predict that diamond production from this deposit will amount to 71 million carats, and its service life will be at least forty years.

Where are diamonds mined in Russia (except Yakutia)

The opinion that the ALROSA group of companies operates only in cold Yakutia will be erroneous. Moreover, ALROSA is developing deposits not only in Russia, where diamonds are mined, but also in ten other countries.

Indeed, the basic production of the group is concentrated in the Republic of Sakha - in the cities of Yakutsk, Mirny and other cities of Western Yakutia. But there are also representative offices of the joint-stock company ALROSA in other regions of Russia. For example, a subsidiary diamond mining enterprise in the Arkhangelsk region, where the development of diamond deposits began quite recently, about 20 years ago, and the Lomonosov Mining and Processing Plant was opened.

There are also placer diamond deposits in the Perm region. Here they concentrated in the city of Aleksandrovsk and Krasnovishersky district. Although the Permian deposits are not primary, the diamonds mined here are of high quality and are recognized as one of the best for jewelry for their transparency and purity.

ALROSA also has its own representative offices in other cities of Russia, where diamonds are not mined, but processed and turned into polished diamonds. These are Yakutsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Orel and a number of other cities.

ALROSA outside Russia

AK ALROSA conducts major activities in the South African Republic of Angola. Here she owns about 33% of the shares of the local mining company - Africa's largest diamond producer. Cooperation began in 2002, after several meetings at the level of senior management in the capital of the republic, the city of Luanda, an ALROSA branch was opened.

In marketing its specific products, ALROSA has opened several sales branches around the world - in London (UK), Antwerp (Belgium), Hong Kong (China), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), as well as in the USA and Israel. These countries are the location of the main rough and polished diamond trading centers, where they are sold at special auctions and tenders.

Of all the existing ones. Among precious stones it occupies one of the first places.

Crystals are formed underground at a depth of 100-200 m at a temperature of 1100-1300°C. Carbon atoms under high pressure (30-50 kilobars) are transformed into a diamond lattice. At depth, stones can lie for thousands of years. Diamonds are brought to the surface by kimberlite magma during volcanic eruptions, and entire bedrock deposits of minerals are formed. Sometimes gemstones are found in river placers, which are called secondary diamond deposits.

Today, there are about 35 countries in the world engaged in crystal mining, with Russia, Canada, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa leading among them. In Russia, the largest diamond deposits are located in Yakutia, the Perm Territory and the Arkhangelsk Region.

How are diamonds mined? Mining a gemstone consists of several stages and is a rather labor-intensive and complex process. Finding deposits of this mineral sometimes takes up to several years. After identifying the deposit, the territory where the stone will be mined is prepared. The necessary machinery and equipment is brought in, a residential area is created for people who will be engaged in the extraction and processing of stone.

If a kimberlite pipe is discovered on the ocean floor, diamond mining will be carried out using special robotic machines equipped with electronic controls. Such machines, extracting rock, find precious stones and put them in special containers. If the kimberlite pipe is underground, the minerals are mined using underground mines.

The process of mining and processing of diamonds consists of the primary grinding of ore to volumes of 50-150 mm, its sifting and sorting into diamond kimberlite and associated rock. At the secondary stage, the ore is crushed to volumes of 1-32 mm, sieved, sorted into 4 categories of pure diamond kimberlite, and separated from accompanying rocks. The obtained and processed rough diamonds are sent to the sorting shop, where, using special equipment, a final inspection and selection of stones by weight, class and diameter are carried out. Once this process is completed, the diamonds are released into the trade.

The largest diamond deposits in Russia

All diamond deposits are divided into two groups: primary (primary) and alluvial (secondary). Bedrock deposits are associated with igneous rocks. These include kimberlites and lamproites. Placer deposits appeared as a result of the destruction of bedrock. We always found them by accident.

The approximate ratio of diamond resources between primary and secondary sources is 90% and 10%. Therefore, kimberlite and lamproite pipes are recognized as the main sources of industrial diamond mining.

Placer deposits are formed due to the erosion of kimberlite pipes. The mineral has high abrasive resistance, so it can be transported from the main source over long distances, up to several thousand meters.

The first indigenous deposit of the gemstone was found in India in the 17th century. Today, only about 15,000 carats are mined in this country, since diamond resources here have been depleted over several centuries.

Australia is one of the largest diamond producing countries. Currently, the main mining of the precious stone is carried out in the Kimberley region, where the Argil mine is located, which ranks first in the world in terms of production volume. Thus, in 1998, the production volume amounted to 43 million carats of diamonds. Rare pink crystals were discovered here and are in great demand. These copies are sold only at auctions. Reserves in the Argil mine are expected to be exhausted by 2018.

Diamond deposits have also been discovered in the state of Botswana. The Orapa kimberlite pipe, discovered in 1967, ranks third in the world in terms of reserves.

In Canada, diamond mining is established in the Diavik and Ekati mines. The mines are located in the northern part of the country.

The first diamond deposits in Russia were discovered in 1954-1959. Large diamond mines are located in Yakutia and Siberia. The most famous Russian deposits are Mir, Udachny and the Yubileiny mine. The stones here are not only larger than at other sources, but also of very high quality. About 40% of mined crystals are used to make jewelry. Diamonds are mined in harsh conditions, when air temperatures reach several tens of degrees and the soil freezes to a depth of 300 m, which complicates the extraction of precious stones.

"Lomonosovskoye" diamond deposit in the Arkhangelsk region

The largest diamond deposits were discovered in the Arkhangelsk region on the edge of the Baltic shield. The age of kimberlite pipes here reaches 400-600 million years. Over time, some of the pipes were destroyed, and diamonds were deposited in placers. However, many of the pipes were untouched by erosion and remained covered with a thick layer of sediment. In these places, wells were drilled every 50 m and a full range of work was carried out to determine the diamond content. As a result of the work, a very rich diamond deposit was discovered in the Arkhangelsk region, where about 50 kimberlite pipes were discovered, 1/3 of which are diamond-bearing. 6 trumpets: “Arkhangelskaya”, “im. Karpinsky-1", "named after. Karpinsky-2", "Pionerskaya", "Pomorskaya", "im. Lomonosov" are located at a close distance from each other and form a single large deposit, which is named after M.V. Lomonosov.

The Lomonosovskoye diamond deposit is located near the village of Pomorye, Primorsky district. The kimberlite pipes here are covered with a thick layer of loose sediment. The depth of the pipes reaches 600 m. Diamonds mined in this place vary in size. Many specimens are suitable for jewelry work. The quality of the crystals is high. The reserves of this field are estimated at $12 billion.

The video below will tell you more about how diamonds are mined:

Diamond mining is a costly process that requires expensive equipment and modern technologies. But these nuggets are worth it, as they are the most precious stones in the world.

Diamond deposit

Diamond is the hardest mineral whose chemical composition is based on carbon. Diamond is a good dielectric, has high wear resistance and the ability to glow. Most often, minerals are found in yellow or brown, but in nature there are pink, green, blue and red nuggets.

These mysterious and wonderful stones are formed as a result of high pressure and temperature in the bowels of the earth at a depth of about 400 m. Precious particles reach the surface along with erupted magma during volcanic eruptions. In this way, primary deposits of valuable minerals are obtained, which are called kimberlite pipes.

Secondary deposits of stones are placers that are formed during soil erosion. In this case, stones are washed out from primary deposits and end up on the coastal bottom of rivers and seas.

Nuggets were first discovered in the 9th century BC. in India. Mining of stones was carried out in this country until the 18th century, until the diamond deposits were completely depleted. Currently, the leading positions in jewelry mining are occupied by Brazil and the countries of South Africa.

The largest countries that participate in world diamond mining:

• Botswana;
• Angola;
• Russia;
• Congo;
• Namibia;
• Guinea;
• Ghana;
• Republic of South Africa.

A small accumulation of kimberlite rocks is found in the Arctic Circle, the Sahara Desert, Australia, Canada and the countries of the Far East. In total, there are about 35 countries that mine jewelry.

Based on the results of 2007-2008. Russia ranked first in terms of mineral production. The first nuggets were found in 1829 in the Urals, but industrial mining has been carried out in our country since 1954. The Zarnitsa kimberlite pipe is the first primary deposit in the USSR. Currently, diamond mining is widely carried out in the following regions: the Republic of Sakha, Perm and Arkhangelsk regions.

Until the end of the 19th century, diamond mining was carried out by open-pit mining. Quarries on kimberlite pipes reached very great depths, which posed a danger to the process itself. Later, kimberlite pipes began to be developed using a combined method: the upper part of the safe depth - by open-pit mining; and the lower part - underground. The underground method is more complex.

Global mineral production has increased severalfold since 1980, but gemstones are still considered scarce. This is due to high labor intensity, expensive equipment and significant labor and time resources.

There are approximately 12,000 diamond deposits found worldwide, of which only 1% contain enough diamonds to justify the mining process economically.

To extract a precious mineral weighing 1 carat, you need to process 1 ton of rock!

How are diamonds mined?

This process consists of the following main stages:

1. Intelligence service.
2. Preparation of the site and necessary equipment.
3. Construction of a factory.
4. Mining stones.

It takes more than one year and even more than one decade to discover the location of diamonds.

As soon as diagnostics have confirmed mineral deposits in a particular area, experts begin:

• prepare the site where the stones will be processed;
• purchase equipment;
• develop infrastructure for workers and other people involved in the process.

Technological equipment depends on the method of stone extraction. If a kimberlite pipe lies on the ocean floor, then the extraction of precious stones will be carried out using electronically controlled robots. Robots extract rocks that contain diamonds and pack them into containers.

If the kimberlite pipe is underground, the minerals are mined through closed underground mines. This method is expensive and complex.

Construction of the factory begins when all the infrastructure is ready. At this plant, precious stones are extracted from rocks and the minerals are further processed.

The extraction of diamonds and their processing has a certain technology:

1. First, the ore is initially crushed to 50-150 mm.
2. This mixture is sifted and sorted into diamond kimberlite and other accompanying rock. This process is carried out at the mine itself using special installations.
3. Next, the ore is secondary crushed to 1-32 mm, which is then sifted and sorted into 4 categories. Diamonds in their pure form are sorted by particle size: 1-4 mm; 4-8 mm; 8-16 mm; 16-32 mm. Sorting of pure mineral, as well as separation of accompanying impurities, is carried out at the factory.
4. The final stage is sending the diamonds to the sorting shop, where the final inspection and selection of stones by size, weight and class is carried out.

The processed stones are sent to the world jewelry trading market.

Methods for separating diamonds from rocks

Extracting small diamond stones from rocks by sifting is an inefficient and labor-intensive process. To understand how diamonds are mined, you need to consider several technologies that separate jewelry from the general mass of rocks. So, there are the following methods for obtaining precious particles:

1. Fat installations. This equipment consists of special tables covered with fat. Diamond kimberlite diluted in water is poured onto these surfaces. As a result, the precious stones stick to the table, and the rock along with the water is carried away. Adhering particles are then collected manually. This is considered a primitive method of mining nuggets.
2. X-ray installations. The essence of the method is that the rock ore is irradiated with X-rays, and the diamond particles begin to glow blue. A pneumatic pusher is automatically activated, which cuts off precious minerals from the total mass.
3. Electromagnetic equipment. This technology is based on the fact that diamonds are practically not attracted by a magnet, unlike particles of rock that contain jewelry. Therefore, the magnet attracts the elements of the rock, and the diamonds themselves are eliminated from it.
4. Suspension plants. Using this method, precious stones are extracted from diamond placers by lowering the rock mass into a high-density liquid - ferrosilicon. As a result, heavy particles sink to the bottom, and light fractions of diamonds remain on the surface.
5. Using a foam flotator. This method is used to separate diamond dust that is generated in processing shops. The essence of the method is that diamond particles with lower hardness are extracted using an installation with a foam flotator.

Diamond mining is widespread throughout the world, and the demand for stones is constantly growing.

These days, diamond mining in the world is well developed, but the demand for diamonds far exceeds supply. Experts say the situation will worsen. This is beneficial for countries involved in diamond mining and processing. However, not every state can boast of precious deposits. Today there are large mines and quarries only in Africa, Russia, Australia and Canada. There are “Big Five” leading countries in diamond production. We will tell you about her and more.

First world diamonds

Even 7 thousand years ago, people learned about the existence of these stones. Placers were then discovered in India. The largest crystals were also found there. For thousands of years people have mined precious stones here. The most famous: “Shah”, “Kokhinur”, “Orlov”. In the 19th century, the deposits were deserted. Diamonds in India began to run out. Today, diamond mining in India continues, but they are mainly involved in cutting stones and selling diamonds.

By the time India lost ground, gems were found in South America. The first deposit in this country was discovered in the 18th century. The stones mined here are small, but of excellent quality. It is worth mentioning three of them: “Star of Egypt”, “Star of Minas”, “Star of the South”. They have amazing purity and shape. For a century, Brazil led the way in gem mining, but then new discoveries began and the time came for other giants in the diamond industry.

Unique finds were found in streams and rivers. Thus, the birthplace of the famous Eureka diamond weighing 11 carats is Africa; it was found in a river bed. After this, South African deposits became popular.

The giant diamond and the search for gems in Russia

When the mines of Africa became famous, they began to look for other placers and kimberlite pipes in the region. A significant portion of the income went to Great Britain, as diamonds were mined in its colonies. Here, in the 20th century, the largest crystal on Earth was found - “Cullinan” - weighing 3160 carats.

Of course, Russia did not want to lag behind. Large-scale research was carried out in the country, expeditions were sent to look for deposits. The first ones found turned out to be alluvial, this was not enough. We needed kimberlite pipes. The first was discovered in 1949 in Yakutia, then in the Arkhangelsk region. Thanks to this, our state has become one of the leaders in the mining and processing of precious stones.

New deposits are still being sought and developed in Russia today. According to forecasts, our reserves are still large.

Jewelry of Australia and South Africa

Today, there are several countries that maintain primacy in the mining of precious stones and the largest diamond deposits.

For a very long time, Australia was on the list of the largest countries where diamonds are mined, but now its reserves are running out. Now the stones are mined only in the Argyle mine, near the city of Kimberley. Recently, a rare pink variety of diamond was discovered here. Such crystals are sold only at auctions. However, Australia's kimberlite deposits are about to be depleted.

Large diamond reserves are located in South Africa. The country is rich in minerals and gems. It is not surprising that of all the countries in Africa, only it is not classified as backward.

The first deposits in South Africa were discovered in 1867. For almost 2 centuries, it ranked first among countries in diamond production. Almost 60% of all stones in the world came from there. Then deposits in other countries began to be actively developed, and South Africa lost its leadership.

Since 2006, the volume of gem mining in South Africa has decreased by 2 times. Also, South Africa supplies much less stones to the world market. On the one hand, this is the result of a crisis in the country and the world. On the other hand, the cutting industry in South Africa is developing well, local demand for diamonds has increased, and they are leaving the country as polished diamonds.

South Africa is home to one of the largest diamond corporations, De Beers. It controls the mining, extraction, processing and to whom South Africa's diamonds are sold. The largest mine is Venice.

High quality Angola crystals

Another African country in fourth place among the world's diamond mining countries is the Venice mine. 2 tons of precious crystals are mined here every year.

Among Angola's diamonds, there are almost no small or low-quality diamonds. Angolan stones are large, colorless or pink.

The first deposits here were explored at the beginning of the 20th century. They were alluvial, meaning the stones were in sand and clay along the river banks. When the country gained independence, diamonds were for a long time the currency used to buy weapons, and they were mined unofficially. Around the world, gems from Angola were called bloody.

Today the situation has changed. The mines of Angola produce legal stones in the amount of 8.7 million carats per year. Their total cost is 1.5 billion dollars. Reserves are estimated at 180 million carats. To date, 700 kimberlite trudes are known.

The largest diamond mine is Fukauma.

The processing of precious crystals is also well developed here.

Mining of gems in Canada and the USA

The first valuable crystals were found in Canada at the end of the 19th century, but industrial extraction began only in the 1990s. Then the world began to pay attention to how diamonds are mined in Africa and where they go. They talked about terrible working conditions and the financing of military conflicts. The legality and “purity” of diamonds began to matter a lot.

Canada's main mines are located in the northern and northwestern parts of the country. There are several large ones, especially “Renard” and “Gacho Kuey” are large and famous. In 2017, they accounted for a third of the global increase in gem mining volumes. Today, in the list of countries that have leadership in the diamond mining industry, Canada is in third place. It produces 12 million carats of gems per year, worth $2 billion.

In the United States, there are diamond mines only in the state of Arkansas. The country is not on the list of industry leaders, but it is worth mentioning for two reasons. Firstly, Arkansas is home to the famous “Crater of Diamonds”, a remnant of a volcano. For some time, precious stones were mined here. Secondly, many stones mined in the world do not bypass America, because the largest center for cutting gems is located here.

Botswana and other African countries

Botswana is the leader in diamond mining in Africa. She is second in the global ranking. More than half of the country is a barren desert; the climate does not allow farming. Gold and oil are mined in small quantities. However, Botswana may soon surpass South Africa in terms of living standards, all thanks to diamonds.

Precious stones were found here only in the 1970s, but the country’s mines quickly became famous - of all the deposits in the world, only these bring green diamonds. These crystals are extremely rare and are the most expensive purchase. They have become the hallmark of Botswana, thanks to which the world diamond market knows it.

More than 40 million carats of gems are mined here every year. Exports bring in $2 billion annually. The largest number of stones are found at the Jwaneng and Orapa mines, as well as Damtshaa and Letlhakan.

Africa is rich in diamonds; they are also mined in other countries: Tanzania, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Zaire, Congo. There are both abundant placers and pipes. Separately, perhaps, we can say about Namibia. There are large deposits here, and the country is considered one of the major diamond-producing states.

Where are the most gems found?

The richest diamond deposits in the world are located in Russia. The top 10 largest quarries look like this:

1. "Yubileiny", Russian Federation;
2. “Udachny”, Russian Federation;
3. "Mir", RF;
4. Argyle, Australia;
5. Catoca, Angola;
6. "Venice", South Africa;
7. them. V.P. Grib, RF;
8. "Jwaneng", Botswana;
9. Orapa, Botswana;
10. "Botoubinskaya", Russian Federation.

As you can see, our country takes the first three places. If we look for mines on maps, we will see that most are located in Yakutia.

If we talk about the volumes of crystals found, diamond production is distributed differently across countries. So, the leading countries in diamond mining are:

• Botswana;
• Russia;
• Canada;
• Angola.

The largest deposits on the planet, the extraction of stones, and their turnover are controlled by several large companies and international corporations. Some own mines in different parts of the Earth. Three leading companies can be noted: De Beers (South Africa), BHP Billton (Australia) and the Russian ALKOROSA.

Diamond is a precious stone, which after its processing receives the name diamond, perhaps the most popular in the world. He has no equal. As a rule, diamond is colorless, but sometimes you can find its rare relatives in pink, greenish and even black colors.

This “king of stones” is the hardest natural mineral that is formed at incredibly high temperatures and pressure.

And about how and where crystal clear diamonds are mined Today “The Magic of Stone” will tell you.

How are diamonds mined?

The entire diamond mining process is extremely complex and not as attractive as the finished product. Since the deposits, or so-called kimberlite pipes, are located at a depth of 1.5 km.

Until the 19th century, diamonds were mined using a shovel, which was used to scoop up river sand and then wash it in special trays.

But in the 19th century, when kimberlite pipes were discovered, which were named after the first province in which the first pipe was discovered - Kimberley, a new way of mining and extracting diamonds appeared.

After a sufficiently long stay of diamonds in the bowels of the earth, a volcanic explosion carries out these precious stones with kimberlite magma, as a result of which a kimberlite pipe is formed, and the rock that contains diamonds is kimberlite.

How are diamonds mined? Extraction occurs in two main stages - open and underground.

Open-pit work is carried out up to 600 meters deep, using explosives. After which underground work begins, namely the creation of a mine. This stage is extremely complex and dangerous because it takes place in conditions of strong groundwater and permafrost.

Once the ore is found and mined, it is taken to a factory where it is crushed and thoroughly washed.

The next stage is sorting using water, when heavy particles settle to the bottom and light particles are carried away.

Where are diamonds mined?

• In first place in diamond production is Russia, which accounts for up to 22%, second place goes to Australia, up to 20%, and third place goes to Botswana and the DRC, respectively, 19% and 17%.
• Large deposits of the precious stone are found mainly in the Sahara Desert, in the Arctic Circle, Latin America and the Far Eastern countries.
• The highest quality diamonds are sent for cutting and finishing to Holland and Israel.

Where are diamonds mined: diamond mining in Russia

Diamonds are mined in Yakutia, since it was there that the first kimberlite pipes were found.

Today, Alrosa is the world leader in diamond mining. 35 million carats is the figure that Alrosa’s deposits bring annually. In four regions of the Republic of Yakutia, in the harshest and coldest, in some of which winter lasts 8 months, the purest diamonds are mined. Therefore, many machines and equipment are specially made to order so that they can withstand low temperatures.

It is believed that the Udachny mine will become one of the largest in the world. Also known are such mines as “International” and “Mir”.

Especially for the site "Magic of Stone"