Rare (But Tiny) Diamonds Found in Australia

July 31, 2022 / www.idexonline.com / Article Link

(IDEX Online) - An extremely rare type of diamond has been discovered in Australia - but it will be of more interest to geologists than the gem industry.The "metamorphic diamonds" are invisible to the naked eye and can only be viewed with a laser and a microscope.Researchers from James Cook University, in Queensland, found them in rocks along the Clarke River Fault, west of Paluma in the north of the state, according to Science Advances Journal."We had to analyse many, many thin sections of rock, and to prove the diamonds were there, it took about a year-and-a-half," said Dr Ioan Sanislav, from the university.Metamorphic diamonds are only known to exist in six other locations in the world. In some cases they are so small they can't even be seen with a microscope.They are formed from the massive increase in pressure and temperature when land masses collide.Although they're of no use to the diamond industry, they may provide valuable information about the tectonic movements that formed Australia.Pic courtesy James Cook University

Recent News

Monetary-driven precious metals outperform major base metals

September 09, 2024 / www.canadianminingreport.com

Gold stocks hit by plunging equities markets

September 09, 2024 / www.canadianminingreport.com

Gold stocks down as metal and equities momentum fades

September 02, 2024 / www.canadianminingreport.com

Another Kazatomprom guidance announcement shakes uranium price

September 02, 2024 / www.canadianminingreport.com

Major monetary drivers still supporting gold

August 26, 2024 / www.canadianminingreport.com
See all >
Share to Youtube Share to Facebook Facebook Share to Linkedin Share to Twitter Twitter Share to Tiktok