💎 DIAMONDS: Hidden TREASURES | How Diamonds are EXTRACTED from The EARTH

Diamonds are small, lightweight crystals composed primarily of carbon. They are the hardest natural substance in existence and are worth a fortune. Extracting them requires patience, enormous machinery, and powerful explosives. How the hardest gemstone on Earth is extracted? We visit the world's largest diamond mine and one of North America's most secure complexes to discover how diamonds are made. Diamonds Tremendous pressure and intense heat fuse carbon atoms together, creating incredibly hard crystals. They are four times harder than any other mineral on the planet, resistant to corrosion, and the finest ones are completely transparent. They are heat conductors, and some even conduct electricity. Diamonds come in a wide range of colors, but the most common for jewelry is white. Located 130 miles south of the Arctic Circle is one of the world's largest diamond mines. It is one of the deepest man-made holes on Earth, so massive that you can even see the crater from space. It operates 24-7, 365 days a year to produce some of the purest rough diamonds in the world. Here, 2 million tons of ore are processed annually. These are the world's oldest extracted diamonds, formed 3 billion years ago deep within the Earth's mantle. These diamonds surfaced as a result of volcanic eruptions and are found in volcanic magma pipes that have cooled into a type of rock called kimberlite. To unearth these precious gems, tens of millions of tons of rock must be removed. To reach the kimberlite, holes are first drilled into the granite using colossal mobile drills. These holes are then filled with explosives and detonated to dislodge the ore. Thousands of tons of rock are blasted daily in surge of diamonds that formed 150 kilometers below the surface. Once excavated, the volcanic ore is loaded onto massive 240-ton trucks that ascend the spiral edge of the crater to reach the processing plant. While they may appear to carry nothing but rocks, each load could contain 700 carats of rough diamonds. These rocks are valuable, but once processed, their value increases fivefold. The ore is transported 300 kilometers south to one of North America's most secure complexes. The next challenge is to remove the remaining traces of rock. To do this, a robot immerses the batch of diamonds in a chemical bath. When it's finished, the rocks disappear, leaving only raw diamonds. Belgium has been the center of the diamond trade since the 15th century. Over 20,000 kilograms of diamonds, 80% of the world's production, pass through this city each year. That's around 32 billion euros worth of stones. The process of turning these rough diamonds into sparkling jewelry begins with the workshop manager. They decide how to cut each stone to maximize its value. Thanks to decades of experience and computer assistance, each diamond is marked for cutting. In this state, the stone is worth nearly one million euros, but once cut, it will be worth much more. Using a computer, they design the optimal combination of cuts. It's a highly skilled job, so each diamond must be cut differently. Master cutters use a magnifying glass that enlarges the stone up to 10 times. They carefully examine the diamond repeatedly, trying to determine the best way to split it. They mark very fine lines on the physical diamond to provide clear and perfect instructions to the polishers and other artisans. Even when cut correctly, only 25% of the stone will be utilized. For centuries, diamonds were split at their weakest point using a hammer and chisel, but today, lasers are used. The cutter focuses a high-energy green laser on a point and pulverizes it. This machine can make finer cuts than traditional methods. The only way to shape a diamond is to rub it against another. This process is known as grinding. Two diamonds are rotated against each other to give the diamond a round shape. Diamond powder is added to increase abrasion. The stones are sent for polishing. A rotating iron plate is used, coated with olive oil and diamond powder, which slowly polishes a rough stone to create a shining diamond. It rotates at 35 revolutions per minute, slowly carving and polishing the facets to produce a truly precious stone. The process takes nearly 8 weeks, and afterward, the diamond is sent for quality control. Most are cut to a specific model. This is a cut designed to achieve the ultimate brilliance and is based on mathematical calculations. They are sent to an appraiser who weighs the diamonds to determine their carats. Next, the color is determined. The stone is examined for defects, such as carbon spots, notches, and cracks. Lastly, the cut. One of the most prized is the 57-facet cut, which refracts and reflects light to create a pattern of perfectly symmetrical eight hearts and arrows. The facets are designed to reflect light from one to another. Each one must have the precise size and shape and must be cut at the correct angle in relation to the other facets to create maximum brilliance. Once the artisans have completed their work, the final step is certifying the stone. A laser identification is engraved on each stone with a 50 millionths of a millimeter invisible to the human eye. Finally, it is sealed with its documentation and the diamonds are ready to be sent to jewelers. If you want to know how gold is made on earth, you can find the link in the description and in the first comment. Please like the video if you enjoyed it and share it with someone who might be interested. Also, subscribe to this channel and activate notifications to continue learning.