Diamond is pure crystallised carbon. Rough diamonds come in different shapes and sizes. Diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man. Only a diamond can scratch the surface of, or cut through, another diamond. This is why diamonds should never be stored close together.
Diamonds are many millions of years old.
The formation of diamonds began many millions of years ago in the depths of the earth when carbon was crystallised by tremendous heat and pressure. The diamond-bearing ore rosa to the surface through volcanic eruptions. Diamonds found in alluvial deposits were sometimes formed a long way away from their final resting place. Over the centuries they have been eroded from the kimberlite pipes and then carried, first byrain water and then in the alluvium of rivers, down into the diamonds bearing regions. In some areas of the world, such as Africa and Siberia, diamonds are found in the kimberlite pipes.