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.
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.
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!
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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Homeowners Insurance usually does not cover damage caused by floods, landslides, earthquakes and other geohazards.
Frac Sand is a high-purity silica sand used in hydraulic fracturing to enhance the flow of oil and gas from tight rock units.
Diamonds from Coal? Diamonds form under a variety of conditions that rarely involve coal as a source of carbon.
Fluorescent Minerals glow with spectacular colors when illuminated in the dark with an ultraviolet lamp.
Helium is a byproduct of the natural gas industry. Its most important use is in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
Canada Diamond Mines: Canada is the third largest producer of gem-quality diamonds in the world.
Utica Shale: New wells in eastern Ohio prove that the Utica Shale will be a major source of natural gas and natural gas liquids.
Spectacular Fossils of the Green River Formation. Some of the world's best-preserved fossil fish from an intermountain lake.
Opals: Gem quality opal is one of the most spectacular gemstones. A single stone can flash with every color of the spectrum.
