Welcome back! If you’ve followed on from our last blog, where we covered the birth of a diamond from its 1 billion-year-long journey, from conception in the unimaginable heat and pressure within Earth’s mantle to a likely volcanic expulsion, you may be interested to find out more about the methods used to source these breathtaking gems.
First of all, it’s important to point out that diamond mining has not always been an ethically sound venture, and though good suppliers with honestly acquired products are easy to find, the truth is, diamonds that are not ethically sourced are still out there on the market. In order to put a stop to the flow of conflict diamonds, the Kimberley Process was launched in 2000. You can read more about the Kimberley process here.
It is absolutely essential that every person seeking to purchase a natural diamond carefully considers their purchase for ethical sourcing values and standards that good, reputable companies go by. A viable consultant would never stand by a diamond that has been unearthed in conditions of suffering, pain and unnecessary toxification of the earth.
The Process.
Diamond mining takes an incredible amount of energy for success to occur, and even then, very little is guaranteed. The most effective methods of diamond extraction include diamond pipe mining. This process commences with geologists as they locate and track the trail of diamond sources and trace them to where major diamond deposits may be. From here, the presence of diamonds must be proven in order to make profit viable. Alluvial deposits are good proof of viability.
Alluvial diamond mining is another method of diamond mining, but it is the mining of the secondary trails that identify major sources. Alluvial mining often takes place in riverbeds and beaches.
Once diamonds are proven to exist in this localised area, they can then be exhumed in a pipe mining process. This is done through colossal pipes, where the ore is then transported offsite to be examined for diamonds. The process of extracting diamonds includes sieving from gradient to gradient. Productivity can be high or low, with some plants returning a yield as minimal as one single carat diamond with gem quality per many hundreds of tonnes of ore.
At ADC, we stand by the Kimberley Process of ethical diamond sourcing. The diamonds we source, sell and showcase have never funded unethically fuelled movements, and the majority of our precious stones are traceable by the certification process, in which a number is etched that is invisible to the naked eye, this does not affect quality/grade/clarity of the stone.
If you enjoyed this post, stay tuned for our next update, where the journey of a rough diamond makes it from discovery to retail.
Would you like to view our incredible showcase of ethically sourced diamond jewellery? Email us at customercare@adc.com.au or call us on 1300 221 557 today.
