世界鑽石產地·從南非到西伯利亞Diamond Sources of the World · From South Africa to Siberia
The World of Gemstones · Diamond SeriesDiamond Sources of the World · From South Africa to Siberia
The World of Gemstones · Diamond Series世界鑽石產地·從南非到西伯利亞
寶石世界·鑽石篇

When we speak of diamonds, we often focus on their quality and brilliance. Yet on another level, a diamond’s “place of origin” is equally significant. Where it comes from often points to a distinct historical background and to the different geological conditions under which it was formed.

From a geological perspective, the world’s diamond resources are far from evenly distributed. Diamond deposits of economic value can form and survive only under particular geological conditions. Such regions are usually associated with ancient structures of the Earth’s crust, especially continental cratons that have remained stable for billions of years.

A craton is one of the oldest and most stable portions of the Earth’s continental crust. Beneath these regions, temperature and pressure conditions in the mantle are suitable for diamond formation, while diamond-bearing kimberlite or other volcanic rocks may carry the diamonds rapidly from deep within the mantle toward the surface. This explains why the world’s major diamond-producing regions are often concentrated in only a few ancient and geologically stable continental areas.

From a historical perspective, the earliest diamonds known and mined by humankind came from India. Thousands of years ago, diamonds were discovered in Indian rivers and alluvial deposits and treasured as precious objects. Many of the world’s ancient and legendary diamonds, including the stone later known as the Koh-i-Noor, originally came from this land.

The Koh-i-Noor passed through the hands of successive dynasties and empires before eventually becoming one of the treasures of the British Crown. This diamond not only came to symbolize power, but also witnessed the upheavals of history. We will explore its story in detail in a later article devoted specifically to this legendary stone.

The discovery of African diamond deposits in the nineteenth century, however, was what truly transformed the global diamond landscape.

When we speak of diamonds, we often focus on their quality and brilliance. Yet on another level, a diamond’s “place of origin” is equally significant. Where it comes from often points to a distinct historical background and to the different geological conditions under which it was formed.

From a geological perspective, the world’s diamond resources are far from evenly distributed. Diamond deposits of economic value can form and survive only under particular geological conditions. Such regions are usually associated with ancient structures of the Earth’s crust, especially continental cratons that have remained stable for billions of years.

A craton is one of the oldest and most stable portions of the Earth’s continental crust. Beneath these regions, temperature and pressure conditions in the mantle are suitable for diamond formation, while diamond-bearing kimberlite or other volcanic rocks may carry the diamonds rapidly from deep within the mantle toward the surface. This explains why the world’s major diamond-producing regions are often concentrated in only a few ancient and geologically stable continental areas.

From a historical perspective, the earliest diamonds known and mined by humankind came from India. Thousands of years ago, diamonds were discovered in Indian rivers and alluvial deposits and treasured as precious objects. Many of the world’s ancient and legendary diamonds, including the stone later known as the Koh-i-Noor, originally came from this land.

The Koh-i-Noor passed through the hands of successive dynasties and empires before eventually becoming one of the treasures of the British Crown. This diamond not only came to symbolize power, but also witnessed the upheavals of history. We will explore its story in detail in a later article devoted specifically to this legendary stone.

The discovery of African diamond deposits in the nineteenth century, however, was what truly transformed the global diamond landscape.

In the late 1860s, large quantities of alluvial diamonds were first discovered around South Africa’s Orange and Vaal Rivers. Around 1870, diamonds occurring in primary rock formations were also found in Kimberley and its surrounding areas. These discoveries gradually led people to understand that diamonds were not merely treasures found by chance in rivers; they could also be contained within particular kinds of volcanic rock.

The development of the Kimberley mining district transformed diamonds from treasures discovered by chance into a mineral resource that could be extracted systematically and on a massive scale. Diamond production rose rapidly, the modern diamond industry emerged, and a global diamond market gradually took shape.

From gemological and geological perspectives, South Africa’s rich diamond resources are the result of the geological conditions necessary for diamonds to form, travel upward and remain preserved. Numerous diamond-bearing kimberlite bodies have been discovered there, providing valuable evidence for the study of mantle materials, diamond formation and volcanic activity.

Many of the world’s most famous diamonds emerged from this land. The most representative among them is the Cullinan Diamond, which we discussed earlier. Its enormous size alone made it extraordinary, but it also came to symbolize South Africa’s central place in the history of diamonds. Its cutting, division and subsequent journey will be examined in a dedicated article later in this series.

As time passed, new diamond-producing regions were discovered one after another. From the middle of the twentieth century onward, Siberia in Russia became one of the world’s most important diamond-producing regions. These deposits are likewise situated on ancient cratons and possess a stable and distinctive geological setting.

Siberia has a bitterly cold climate and long winters, and many of its diamond-mining regions lie within zones of permanent permafrost. Miners must confront not only the hard rock deep underground, but also the struggle for survival created by extreme cold and geographical isolation. Even under such conditions, Russia has developed an enormous diamond industry and become one of the world’s leading producers of natural diamonds, with an output that exerts a significant influence on the global diamond market.

In southern Africa, Botswana is another world-class diamond source that cannot be overlooked. A number of large, high-quality diamond mines have been discovered there. The diamond industry has not only transformed the country’s economy, but has also given Botswana an exceptionally important place in the global diamond market.

Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo also possess abundant diamond resources. These regions contain both primary deposits and alluvial deposits formed through transportation by rivers. Namibia’s diamonds, however, have a character all their own: some were carried over great distances by rivers before being deposited along the Atlantic coast or even on the seabed offshore, creating the world-famous coastal and marine diamond deposits.

In North America, Canada emerged as an important diamond producer near the end of the twentieth century. Northern Canada is vast, sparsely populated and bitterly cold, and many of its diamond mines are situated in remote areas. The arrival of Canadian diamonds on the market further diversified the global sources of natural diamond supply.

In East Asia, China also possesses natural diamond resources. Beneath its vast territory lie ancient geological structures such as the North China Craton and the Yangtze Craton, which provide the conditions necessary for diamonds to form and remain preserved. China’s principal known natural diamond regions include Wafangdian in Liaoning Province, the Mengyin–Linshu area in Shandong Province, and the Yuanjiang and Yuanshui river basins in Hunan Province. Liaoning and Shandong are known for primary kimberlite-hosted deposits, while Hunan has yielded mainly alluvial diamonds transported and deposited by rivers.

China has also produced several remarkable large diamonds. The most famous is the Changlin Diamond, discovered in Linshu County, Shandong Province, in 1977. Weighing 158.786 carats, with a well-formed crystal and fine quality, it is one of the most representative large natural diamonds still preserved in China. According to local chronicles and related historical records, an even larger stone—the 281.25-carat “Golden Rooster Diamond”—was discovered as early as the autumn of 1937 at Golden Rooster Ridge in Tancheng County, Shandong Province. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, this precious diamond was looted by the invading Japanese army and subsequently disappeared. It stands as another witness to the plunder of Chinese property and the historical losses inflicted by Japan’s war of aggression, while leaving behind a mystery in China’s diamond history that remains unsolved to this day.

Although China unquestionably possesses natural diamond resources, the scale of its exploration and mining has remained relatively limited. Compared with the world’s leading diamond-producing countries, China’s known deposits have not offered the overall reserves, grades and economically viable mining conditions needed to sustain a vast natural diamond industry. Natural diamonds have therefore never become a major pillar of China’s mining sector.

In striking contrast, China has developed the world’s largest synthetic diamond industry. Initially, these manufactured diamonds were used mainly for cutting, grinding, drilling and precision manufacturing; in recent years, the production of gem-quality laboratory-grown diamonds has also expanded rapidly. When industrial needs can be met by synthetic diamonds in enormous quantities, while the jewelry market has gained laboratory-grown diamonds as another option, the economic incentive for large-scale exploration and mining of natural diamonds is, to some extent, further diminished.

Beyond Africa, Russia, Canada and China, Australia was once another important source of diamonds. The Argyle Mine in Western Australia was especially renowned for its pink diamonds. The overwhelming majority of diamonds extracted from Argyle were not pink; nevertheless, the small number of pink, red and violet diamonds it produced became celebrated around the world for their intense colors and distinctive origin.

The Argyle Mine ceased mining operations in 2020. After its closure, no newly mined Argyle diamonds continued to enter the market. Argyle pink diamonds with reliable records of origin consequently became even rarer and attracted particular attention from collectors and the jewelry market. We have already explored the stories of these pink diamonds and the changes in their market in Diamonds 110 and 111.

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Under the diamond 4Cs grading system established by GIA, geographic origin is not a factor in assessing diamond quality. A diamond does not automatically receive a higher grade for its color, clarity, cut or carat weight simply because it comes from a famous mining region.

In the market and the world of collecting, however, origin can still carry important additional significance. Certain mining regions attract particular interest from collectors because of their exceptional histories, limited production, distinctive colors or the fact that their mines have ceased operating.

It is important to understand that a diamond’s geographic origin cannot readily be determined through visual examination or ordinary gemological characteristics alone. Reliable mining records, supply-chain tracking and documentation of provenance are essential.

An Argyle pink diamond with a reliable record of origin, for example, may be especially sought after because of its color, rarity, mining history and the closure of the mine itself. In collecting such a diamond, one is acquiring more than a gemstone; one is also preserving a chapter of mining history that can never begin again.

Viewed from a global perspective, the distribution of diamonds forms a network woven together by geological conditions, historical discoveries and human activity. Every diamond source is not merely a geographical location, but also the beginning of a story.

From the ancient rivers of India to the mines of South Africa; from the frozen expanses of Siberia to the Australian wilderness; from Botswana’s volcanic pipes to the Canadian tundra, Namibia’s Atlantic coast and the ancient cratons of China, diamonds have been discovered in very different lands and endowed with different meanings by different cultures.

Perhaps that is why, whenever we look at a diamond, we are seeing not only a creation from the depths of the Earth, but also the culmination of a long journey across geography and history.

(To be continued)