Diamonds

Diamonds are small, hard, valuable minerals that are a natural element made of carbon.  They come from deep under the ground.  

Diamonds are the hardest mineral known to man. They have a hardness rating of 10.  Iron's hardness is 8.5.  

Diamonds are very useful when it comes to jewellery and saw blades and even super sharp surgical scalpels.

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To mine diamonds you need to find kimberlite pipes or you could try looking on alluvial river gravels or even try looking on marine deposits like off the coast of Namibia.

The largest exporter of diamonds by value in the world is Botswana, then South Africa.  I've seen many diamond mines in Botswana and South Africa so there must be lots around.  

Many countries in Southern Africa mine diamonds.  Namibia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and even Lesotho export diamonds.  

Diamonds are mainly clear but you can find red, yellow, black, white, green, grey and vivid blue.  

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When we were at the Capetown Diamond museum our guide showed us a picture of this blue diamond called the Hope Diamond.  

There is a legend it was stolen by a French archeologist from a statue eye and whoever owned it was cursed.  

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