Are diamonds found in kimberlite pipes?

Are diamonds found in kimberlite pipes?

Diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes are only found in ancient areas of the continents. But diamonds have also been found far from the pipes. This is because volcanic rock erodes and is washed away over time. Rivers, streams and glaciers can carry diamonds far from the original volcanoes.

How deep are kimberlite pipes?

150 km
Kimberlites originate from >150 km depth within Earth’s mantle beneath thick continental roots, away from tectonic plate margins.

Are kimberlite pipes rare?

Kimberlite pipes bring the gems to the surface in eruptions that sometimes rise faster than the speed of sound. The pipes are rare. Haggerty says a rule of sixes applies: Of the more than 6000 known kimberlite pipes in the world, about 600 contain diamonds.

How do you identify a kimberlite diamond?

kimberlite, also called blue ground, a dark-coloured, heavy, often altered and brecciated (fragmented), intrusive igneous rock that contains diamonds in its rock matrix. It has a porphyritic texture, with large, often rounded crystals (phenocrysts) surrounded by a fine-grained matrix (groundmass).

Is kimberlite worth any money?

Kimberlites form this region do yield beautiful diamonds which mostly range from very small to a maximum of 3 carats. Customers have found 1/4 carat to 1/2 carat blue diamonds and yellow & clear diamonds between 1/4 and 2 carats within our specimens worth $1,500-$4,000.

How do I know if I have kimberlite?

Kimberlites are very diverse, but generally have distinct trace mineralogy. The only way to absolutely identify one is by thin section and chemistry. And finding a kimberlite that contains diamonds is even rarer – most do not.

What is the shape of a kimberlite pipe?

Kimberlite Pipes. Carrot-shaped volcanic pipes rising from the upper mantle 100-300km beneath the crust. They are formed through the high-pressure eruption of kimberlite magma, which expands and breaks rock as it reaches the crust.

How many kimberlite pipes are there?

About 6,400 kimberlite pipes have been discovered in the world, of those about 900 have been classified as diamondiferous, and of those just over 30 have been economic enough to diamond mine. The deposits occurring at Kimberley, South Africa, were the first recognized and the source of the name.

Can you find kimberlite on the surface?

Kimberlites – named after the South African town of Kimberley where they were first diamond was discovered – are generally only found in very old parts of the Earth’s crust. They are the sites of small but violent volcanic eruptions that brought material – including diamonds – spewing to the surface.