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Which Is A Diamond
I
Which is a Diamond II
Become a Gemologist
Diamonds may be found in alluvial (material deposited by running water) formations and in volcanic pipes, filled with blue ground or kimberlite, an igneous rock consisting largely of serpentine. At the surface the blue ground is weathered to a clay called yellow ground.
Diamantiferous (or diamondiferous), or diamond-yielding, earth is mined both by the open-pit method and by underground mining.
After being removed to the surface, it is crushed and then concentrated. There are several ways to separate the diamonds. Sorting can be accomplished by passing the concentrated material in a stream of water over greased tables. The diamond, being largely water repellent, sticks to the grease, but the other minerals retain a film of water, which prevents them from adhering to the grease. The diamonds are then removed from the grease, cleaned, and graded for sale.
Using X-Rays to Sort Diamonds
The X-Ray Diamond Flow Sorter relies on the fact that diamonds usually fluoresce when exposed to x-ray radiation. If a diamond moving across the x-ray sorter fluoresces, the light is detected, amplified and converted into an electrical signal. An ejection device is triggered and the diamond is physically separated from the rest of the material.
The x-ray diamond recovery machine is capable of detecting diamonds from 1 mm to 25 mm in size, and though diamond recovery is dependent upon many factors, recovery efficiency is greater than 98%. Sophisticated technology also allows for multiple diamond ejections per second. The unit is capable of processing material quickly and efficiently from 0.5 tonne per hour for 2 mm material to 2.5 tonnes per hour for coarse material (> 16 mm in size).
