[Jewelry making - Article 01201] - Re: [Orchid] Gemesis laboratory grown diamonds

[The Doctor]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

    For the sake of clarification, diamonds are formed just below the
    earth's crust (not in the core), and not from decomposed animal
    matter, but from when tremendous heat and pressure on rocks called
    eclogites (ECK-low-jites) and peridotites (per-RID-doe-tites), which
    lend carbon atoms to the mix. 

    After diamonds (and many other gem materials) have formed from this
    process, a geologic event called a magma intrusion can occur. If the
    timing is right, water filtering down from the surface causes a very
    rapid expansion of gases, and a type of rock called kimberlite (or
    sometimes, lamproite, as in the Argyle mine's composition), forms
    along with it. As this formation occurs, the gases and rock travel
    faster and faster toward the surface, bringing the diamonds, garnet,
    spinel, etc. up to the surface in an ever-expanding, inverted
    cone-shape that results in what is known as a kimberlite eruption.
    Many of these other gem materials are found as inclusions in
    diamonds. 

    By the time it all erupts, it is traveling at over 125 feet per
    second, tossing tonsts of material into the air. When it all settles
    down, this "pipe" is sometimes diamondiferous enough to develop and
    mine for the diamonds. But don't count on witnessing a kimberlite
    eruption, there hasn't been one in hundreds of thousands of years. 

    James in SoFl who still isn't partial to diamonds, but certainly
    doesn't dislike them. I'd still rather have a fine opal.

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________