How do I identify my kimberlite?

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.

What does kimberlite and lamproite look like?

Kimberlites & lamproites are unusual igneous bodies having overall pipe-shaped geometries. Their mode of formation is only moderately understood because they have not been observed forming. Kimberlites & lamproites are known from scattered localities throughout the world – only some are significantly diamondiferous.

Where can you find kimberlite rocks?

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.

What is the difference between Lamproite and kimberlite?

Kimberlites are characterized by CO2-dominated regime, whereas formation of lamproites was assisted by essentially H2O fluid; (2) Kimberlites are localized within ancient cratons, while within-plate lamproites are restricted to adjacent Proterozoic belts.

What kind of rock is kimberlite?

igneous rock
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.

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 a diamond?

Where can I find kimberlite in the US?

They occur in the western margin of the Appalachians from New York to Tennessee; in the central region of the U.S. including Kentucky, southern Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas, and in the Western States of Montana, Colorado, Wyoming and the Colorado Plateau.

What type of rock is a kimberlite?

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).

Where can you find kimberlite rock?

Kimberlite is an igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds. It is named after the town of Kimberley in South Africa, where the discovery of an 83.5-carat (16.70 g) diamond called the Star of South Africa in 1869 spawned a diamond rush and the digging of the open-pit mine called the Big Hole.

Where to find kimberlite?

Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia. From Kimberley +‎ -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.

How are diamonds extracted from kimberlite?

As the rocks erode, diamonds are released from the kimberlite. The kimberlite weathers to a yellowish product referred to as yellow ground. Diamonds are easily extracted from yellow ground, but fresh kimberlite rock, called blue ground, holds the diamonds and must be crushed in order to release them.