How a Diamond Is Like a Champagne Cork
By Sid Perkins, ScienceNOW
Scientists have long known that a diamond’s trip from deep below Earth’s surface must be quick indeed: Lab tests show that at conditions found in the crust, the gems would burn up in a matter of days, if not hours. New experiments reveal the chemical secret behind such rapid ascent. The eruptions of diamonds to Earth’s surface may be driven by massive quantities of carbon dioxide fizzing from the molten rock that surrounds the gems.
Many diamonds are embedded in a dense volcanic rock called kimberlite, which gets its name from the town of Kimberley, South Africa, where several of the world’s first diamond mines were discovered. It’s difficult to explain how relatively heavy, crystal-rich magma becomes buoyant enough to rapidly rise through Earth’s crust, so researchers have long suspected that volatile substances dissolved in the rock, such as water and carbon dioxide, play a major role in kimberlite eruptions, says Kelly Russell, a volcanologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Nevertheless, scientists have been baffled about how and why these substances begin to froth out of material in the mantle. Pressures there are typically so high that they would keep gases locked in the molten rock, just as pressure keeps carbon dioxide dissolved in a carbonated drink.
Note on the photo-the article had a so so shot, but I had lucked onto a brief chance to shoot a very large flawless diamond some time ago. Then I did a composite with a fiery furnace shot. Way better image for the article. Maybe I should send this to the editor with a CV. That diamond is a 60ct D color Fl or certified flawless. Perfect color, flawless, heart shape. That diamond later sold for millions of dollars. Here is a link to the bigger image. Bigger than 200k anyway.