What is diamond made of ? what actually it is? Well, apart from girl’s best friend, Diamond is precious stone obtained from beneath of the earth, about 150-200 kilometers or 90-125 miles below the earth surface. It is one of the strongest and expensive mineral on the earth.. With high temperature and pressure in earth mantle world’s most precious stones are formed, the diamonds.

Raw stones or rough diamonds are processed out of the diamonds mines and taken to the manufacturing units to make it look world’s so-called diamond. Precious, shinning loose diamond which is then molded into engagement rings and other jewelry.

What is Diamond Made Of?

Diamond formation takes place more than 150-200 km below the earth surface where the temperature is more than 1050 degree Celsius (2000 degree Fahrenheit) with extreme pressure, diamond is formed and igneous rock is popped out with magma during the volcano eruption. And some of this igneous rock may contain diamond, Few of the big diamonds which found in past were obtained from kimberlite rocks.

The biggest myth about the diamond is that it is formed (converted) from coal. The truth, Coal plays a rare part in the diamond formation, whereas most of the diamonds which we owned today were formed through high pressure & temperature below the earth surface. The molecule structure in diamonds are different from coal and graphite and that what makes diamonds the world’s hardest natural substance.

The carbon source for diamond formation might be from the earth’s mantle at the time of earth formation. Also, it is been said that organic carbon (living things bodies) are buried down billion of the year before to the earth mantle at the time of plate tectonics and continental movements during earthquakes, which then source carbon in the formation of diamonds. It takes billions of year for natural diamond formation.

Other than carbon there are few substances that help in the diamond formation, that are nitrogen, sulfur, boron etc which affects in formation as well as in diamond colors and purity. Pink and Blue color diamonds are rare and that what makes it more expensive and beautiful too. Whereas brownies, yellowish and white (colorless) diamonds are common compare to red and blue and other colorful diamonds.

Diamond Formation

So the conclusion to, what is diamond made of? Diamond is made of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen and few other substances under the earth mantle with high temperatures and pressure. Later than diamond rushed toward the earth surface with magma due to the deep volcano eruption. Most of the diamonds were found from kimberlite stone and lamproite pipes which occurred during the volcano eruption.

Sources & Referecnces

Image source – Flicker

GIA website – www.gia.edu

Geology website – www.geology.com