How are diamonds formed?

Diamonds were formed over 3 billion years ago deep in the earth's crust under conditions of intense heat and pressure that cause carbon atoms to crystallize to form diamonds.

- Brilliant is a mineral, a cubic allotropic form of carbon. It is a transparent gemstone, with brilliance and hardness surpassing all other minerals.

- A diamond is a brilliant that has been cut into a faceted shape to bring out its natural brilliance to the maximum.

How are diamonds formed in nature?

Diamonds are at a depth of approx. 150-200 km below the Earth's surface. Here, the average temperature is from 900 to 1300 degrees Celsius and the pressure is from 45 to 60 kilobars (which is about 50,000 times higher than atmospheric pressure on the surface of the Earth).

Under these conditions, molten lamproite and kimberlite (commonly known as magma) also form in the Earth's upper mantle and expand rapidly. This expansion causes magma to erupt, pushing it to the Earth's surface and carrying diamond-bearing rocks with it. Moving at incredible speed, the magma takes the path of least resistance, forming a "pipe" on the surface.

As the magma cools, it solidifies to form kimberlite and settles into vertical structures known as kimberlite pipes. These kimberlite pipes are the most significant source of diamonds, however, it is estimated that only 1 out of every 200 kimberlite pipes contains gem-quality diamonds. The name "Kimberlite" comes from the name of the South African city of Kimberley, where the first diamonds were found in rocks of this type.

Cullinan diamond 3106 carats

The Cullinan or Star of Africa is the largest and most expensive gem-quality diamond ever discovered in the world: its mass was 3106.75 carats (621.35 grams), dimensions were 100x65x50 mm. At the moment there are 9 of its parts.