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Fee Mining Sites
May 24, 2013 | RockTumbler.com

Lots of people enjoy going to fee mining sites where you can prospect inactive surface mines, mine tailings, soil, sediments or outcrops and keep any rocks, gems, minerals or fossils that you find. Examples include: Herkimer Diamond Mines where you can search for doubly-terminated quartz crystals, and Crater of Diamonds where you might be lucky enough to find a real diamond.

Colorless Diamond Price Record
May 21, 2013 | ABCNews

ABC News Australia has an article about the 101 carat colorless diamond that set a new price record by selling for $23.8 million.

Diamond Dust over Saskatoon
May 3, 2013 |

The Earth Science Picture of the Day for April 29th was “diamond dust” glowing from reflected natural light and city lights outside of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

What is a Maar?
April 26, 2013 | Geology.com

Maars are the second most common volcanic feature on Earth.

The largest maars are found on the Seward Peninsula of Alaska. Do you know what they are and how they form?

Diamonds Do Not Form From Coal
April 22, 2013 | Geology.com

How diamonds form is one of the most common geological misconceptions. Diamonds form under a variety of conditions that rarely, if ever, involve coal as a source of carbon. In fact, most diamonds formed long before the first coal swamp or land plant!

Alrosa Diamond Prospects in Africa
April 11, 2013 | Russia and India Report

Russian state-controlled diamond producer, Alrosa, hopes to explore for new primary diamond deposits in Angola, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

How to Recognize Good Gemstone Faceting
March 5, 2013 | YouTube

This short video by John Dyer explains the characteristics of well-cut and poorly-cut faceted gemstones. Beautiful faceted stones are a combination of great mineralogy and great craftsmanship.

Botswana Trading Diamonds for Coal
March 5, 2013 | Mining Weekly

Botswana has been one of the world’s leaders in the production of gem-quality diamonds but production levels are not sustainable. To diversify their mineral industry the plan is to focus on coal.

Related: What countries produce gem-quality diamonds?

Climbing Australian Diamond Revenues
February 13, 2013 | San Francisco Chronicle

Several factors work together to determine the annual value of Australia’s diamond production. The output of mining operations, the quality of the stones, world diamond prices, and the relative strength of the Australian Dollar against other currencies are major factors in the annual value.

Diamond Exploration in Eastern North Dakota
January 7, 2013 | North Dakota Geological Survey

This fact sheet by the North Dakota Geological Survey describes the possibility of kimberlites in North Dakota and a 2010 exploration program conducted by Kennecott.

Will Geologists Buy the Ekati Mine?
December 13, 2012 | Stockhouse.com

Charles Fipke and Stewart Blusson discovered the diamond deposit that was developed into Canada’s famous Ekati Mine. Now BHP Billiton wants to sell and the geologists have first refusal rights.

Most Popular: 12/03 to 12/09
December 11, 2012 | Geology.com

1500-Year Arctic Atmospheric Cycle

Voyager 1 Enters a New Region of Deep Space

Flaring Gas in North Dakota

Superstorm Sandy and Sea Level Rise

Most Accurate Gravity Map of the Moon

Compensation for Island Nations Suffering from Sea Level Rise

History of the Hope Diamond

History of the Hope Diamond
December 4, 2012 | Museum Diamonds

Did you know that the Hope Diamond, the world second-largest blue diamond, may have been recut from a diamond known as the “French Blue” that was stolen during the French Revolution?

BHP Billiton Sells its Diamonds
November 15, 2012 | The Globe and Mail

Suffering diamond prices has prompted BHP Billiton to sell their stake in the Ekati Mine and their diamond marketing business.

Colored Stones Gaining Ground on Diamonds
November 15, 2012 | Business Week

In the 1940′s colored stones dominated the gemstone market, then marketing genius launched diamonds far into the lead. Now, colored stone producers are planning a come-back.

The “Diamond” Super-Earth
October 12, 2012 | Yale News

55 Cancri e — an extremely hot planet with a surface of mostly graphite surrounding a thick layer of diamond, below which is a layer of silicon-based minerals and a molten iron core at the center.

Most Popular: 9/16/12 – 9/22/12
September 23, 2012 | Geology.com

Popigai: The World’s Largest Diamond Deposit

2012 Arctic Sea Ice Minimum – Lowest Ever

Methane Hydrates: The World’s Largest Natural Gas Resource

The World’s Most Effective Road Sign?

Gold-Bearing Garnet Sands

Eruption Brewing at El Hierro?

NOAA Submarine Volcano Expedition

Metamorphic Rocks of the Bancroft Area

Popigai: The World’s Largest Diamond Deposit
September 21, 2012 | Geology.com

The impact occurred where Archean graphite-garnet gneiss basement rock was overlain by about 1.5 kilometers of sedimentary cover. [...] Diamonds formed and survived in a thin zone of rock located about 12 to 13.6 kilometers out from the point of impact.

Impactites and Diamonds in the Popigai Crater
September 18, 2012 | Geology.com

In an article on impact breccia, Geoffrey Notkin reports on impact breccia anddiamonds found in the Popigai Crater.

Shoplifter Swallows Valuable Diamond
September 6, 2012 | ABC News

A shoplifter in Sri Lanka swallowed a valuable diamond. Police took him to a hospital for an x-ray and laxatives.

Screening for Synthetic and Colored Diamonds
July 17, 2012 | Gemological Institute of America

Undisclosed synthetic diamonds and color treatments are a huge problem in the diamond trade. The Gemological Institute of America now has a low cost method to screen and document the nature of small diamonds.

Uses of Diamond
May 11, 2012 | Geology.com

Diamond has many unique properties that make it the best possible material for a wide variety of uses beyond those of a gemstone.

The image at right is a green diamond crystal suitable for industrial use.

Rio Tinto Selling $2B in Diamond Mines
March 28, 2012 | The Independent

Rio Tinto is looking for buyers for three diamond mines. A 100% stake in the Argyle Mine in Australia that is famous for its pink diamonds, a 60% interest in the Diavik Mine in the Norwest Territories of Canada that is famous for it’s extremely high ore grade, and the smaller Murowa Diamond Mine in Zimbabwe.

Emeralds Found in North Carolina?
March 19, 2012 | CharlotteObserver.com

Most people don’t realize that some amazing emeralds have been found in North Carolina. The North Carolina Museum of Natural History just received a gift of four emeralds found in Alexander County in 2011 that are worth millions of dollars.

A Diamond Exchange-Traded Fund?
March 14, 2012 | Barrons

Investing in diamonds and the stocks of diamond companies requires a lot of specialized knowledge. A diamond exchange-traded fund is proposed that will attempt to track the public market for diamonds.

Ending the Diamond Slump in Australia?
March 2, 2012 | Business Insider

Low diamond prices and a strong Australian dollar have caused problems for the Australian diamond and gemstone mining industry for the past five years (see graph below). Could 2012 be a year of change?

Related: World Diamond Production     How Do Diamonds Form?

Rising Demand for Diamonds in China
February 20, 2012 | People's Daily Online

Increasing popularity, increasing disposable income and an increasing interest in gemstone investments are working together to make China a major importer of gem-quality diamonds.

Carbonation Delivers Kimberlite
January 27, 2012 |

Researchers may have discovered the driving force that delivers kimberlite from deep within the Earth to a surface eruption at supersonic speeds.

Diamonds do not form from coal

Rising Demand for Diamonds
January 3, 2012 | Business Week

Middle class populations are growing rapidly in China and India. This is producing a sharp increase in the demand for diamonds in both countries.

Cutting Diamonds in Canada?
January 3, 2012 | CBC News

De Beers Canada has an agreement with the Province of Ontario that ten percent of the gem quality diamonds produced from the Victor Mine will be cut in Ontario. The problem is finding cutters who have skills that match the quality of the stones.

Related: Diamond Mines in Canada

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Homeowners InsuranceHomeowners Insurance usually does not cover damage caused by floods, landslides, earthquakes and other geohazards.
frac sandFrac Sand is a high-purity silica sand used in hydraulic fracturing to enhance the flow of oil and gas from tight rock units.
Diamond formationDiamonds from Coal? Diamonds form under a variety of conditions that rarely involve coal as a source of carbon.
fluorescent mineralsFluorescent Minerals glow with spectacular colors when illuminated in the dark with an ultraviolet lamp.
Uses of heliumHelium is a byproduct of the natural gas industry. Its most important use is in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
Canada diamond minesCanada Diamond Mines: Canada is the third largest producer of gem-quality diamonds in the world.
Utica shaleUtica Shale: New wells in eastern Ohio prove that the Utica Shale will be a major source of natural gas and natural gas liquids.
Green River fossilsSpectacular Fossils of the Green River Formation. Some of the world's best-preserved fossil fish from an intermountain lake.
OpalOpals: Gem quality opal is one of the most spectacular gemstones. A single stone can flash with every color of the spectrum.
NovaruptaMost Powerful Eruption of the 20th Century: People in Juneau heard the volcanic blast - over one hour after it occurred.



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