What is kimberlite rock?
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).
Why kimberlite is an important rock?
Kimberlites are the most important source of primary diamonds. Many kimberlite pipes also produce rich alluvial or eluvial diamond placer deposits.
How are kimberlite rocks formed?
Unlike most of the surface rocks in Kansas, which are sedimentary in origin, kimberlite is an igneous rock, formed from the cooling of molten magma. Igneous rocks are extremely rare in Kansas.
Where is kimberlite rock found?
Generally speaking, kimberlites are found only in cratons, the oldest surviving areas of continental crust, which form the nuclei of continental landmasses and have remained virtually unchanged since their formation eons ago.
How do I identify a kimberlite rock?
Identifying it from a couple of photographs is impossible. 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.
Do all kimberlites contain diamonds?
Kimberlite pipes were first found near Kimberley in South Africa, but since then they have been found on most continents. Of course, as has been noted, not all kimberlite pipes are created equal and only a small percentage of them contain diamonds.
What is kimberlite worth?
Kimberlite has over 150 minerals and is very rare fetching prices of 50$ per gram.
What do raw diamonds look like when found?
Raw diamonds look like transparent stones with yellowish or brownish tints. There are some that are colorless but these are rare.
How do you break a kimberlite?
Instead of crushing the kimberlite rock, the kimberlite can simply be soaked in water (with appropriate added salts), using the internal forces within the kimberlite to break it apart.
How do you dissolve a kimberlite?
How do you tell if a rock is a diamond?
The only hardness test that will identify a diamond is scratching corundum. Corundum, which includes all rubys and sapphires, is 9 on the hardiness scale. If your suspected diamond crystal can scratch corundum, then there is a good chance that you found a diamond. But NO OTHER HARDNESS TEST will identify a diamond.
How can you tell if a rock is 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.