Monday, May 28

Mineral Mondays!

A kiss on the hand can be quite continental...

But diamonds are a girl's best friend!
Formula:
C
System:IsometricColour:Colourless, yellowish to ...
Lustre:Adamantine, GreasyHardness:10
Name:From Greek "adamas", 'invincible'. First known use by Manlius (A.D. 16) and Pliny (A.D. 100).
Polymorph of:Chaoite, Graphite, Lonsdaleite

Diamond is the hardest natural substance known. It is formed deep in the mantle, and is only brought to the surface via kimberlite pipes, lamprophyres, eclogites and other rocks that originate deep within the mantle. It is also found in alluvial deposits, along with quartz, corundum, zircon and other minerals, derived from such rocks, and in certain meteorites.

The variety carbonado was suggested to form in stellar supernovae explosions (Garai et al., 2006), but this has been disputed by other authors.

 


Kisses,

K

(Images via Pinterest and info via Mindat)

 

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