WHY DIAMONDS ARE SO VALUABLE

Anything extremely rare is also precious. Diamonds, formed billions of years ago are rare in that only a few survived the hazardous journey from the depths of the earth to reach the earth's surface. Indeed, you may be surprised to learn that even through diamond production has increased in recent years, it is estimated that as little as 500 tons have ever been mined in recorded history to date. Of diamonds mined today, approximately 50% are judged to be of gem quality. Even fewer are large enough to be polished into diamonds that are much bigger than the head of a match.
To recover the relatively small amount of both gem quality and industrial diamonds is not easy, even with the increasing sophistication of today's technology. Approximately 250 tons of ore must be mined and processed from the average Kimberlite pipe in order to produce a one carat polished diamond of gem quality. Wherever possible, the considerable quantity of waste material produced is disposed of in such a way as to minimize the impact on the local environment.


1. The Venetin Mine. South Africa.
2. A diamond in the rough.
3. Underground mining. Drilling holes for blasting.
4. Sorting at the Central Selling Organization in London.