DIAMOND MINING

"Now who gives a damn About the ice on your hand If it's not too complex Tell me how many Africans died

For the baguettes on your Rolex"

Lyrics by Ms Dynamite 'It Takes More

Over the next few weeks the class will be investigating the Diamond Mining Industry. We will be looking at its impact on people living in developing nations. During this time, you will all be watching the film ‘Blood Diamond’ .Hopefully, by the end of the unit, these lyrics will hold a lot meaning to you.

Mining in Less EconomicallyDeveloped Countries (LEDCs)

TASK 1: Write the title above. Below that, describe the two photographs in front of you. What is being mined in each photo and where do you think each photo was taken?

Mining in Less EconomicallyDeveloped Countries

(LEDCs)

TASK 1 Answers

• Both photos are of diamond mining

• Photo A - Ekati Diamond Mine, Canada• Photo B – Sierra Leone

Diamond Mining

The next few lessons will be about the Diamond Mining industry. By the end of these lessons you should be able to explain the reasoning behind the following lyrics:

"Now who gives a damn About the ice on your hand If it's not too complex Tell me how many Africans died For the baguettes on your Rolex"Ms Dynamite 'It Takes More'

Diamond Mining

TASK 2: Write down the three sentences below. Beside each, write down which are true and which are false.

1.Diamonds are found naturally in the Earth.

2.Some of the Worlds poorest countries in West Africa are the biggest suppliers e.g. Sierra Leone.

3.80% of all diamonds produced are sold to the US.

All of the sentences are true!

You will now be given a sheet with some information about diamonds on it:

TASK 3: Answer the following questions.

1. What is a diamond?2. What are diamonds used for?3. In which countries in the world can you

find diamonds?4.Where is the Argyle Diamond Mine?5.Describe the two main methods of

mining used at the Argyle Diamond Mine.

INTRODUCTION

Diamond is a transparent gem made of carbonThe Diamond came from the Greek word adamas

which means unconquerableDiamond forms in the kimberlite pipes The formation of diamonds began very early in

the earth's historyThe centre of the planet to become subjected to

incredible extremes of temperatures and pressure.

It was these conditions that caused deposits of carbon to begin to crystallise deep in the earth.

As the earth's surface cooled, volcanic activity forced streams of magna (liquid rock) to the surface, carrying with it the diamond crystals.

Later, the diamond-bearing rock hardened, encasing the diamonds in vertical volcanic "pipes".

Subsequent erosion of the topsoils over millions of years washed some of the diamonds into streams and rivers, and sometimes as far away as the sea.

The diamond is thousands of times harder than corundum, the next hardest substance from which rubies and sapphires are formed.

AFRICA Angola, Botswana, South africa

AUSTRALIA

NORTH AMERICA Canada, USA.

ASIA Russia, India.

PINK DIAMOND WHITE DIAMOND WHITE WITH SECONDARY PINK COLOUR CHAMPAGNE DIAMOND YELLOW DIAMOND PINK DIAMOND BLUE DIAMOND GREEN DIAMOND.

•The pink diamond is the world's rarest and most valuable diamond.

•The Argyle mine is the world's foremost source of unrivalled intense pink diamonds, producing 95% of the world's supply.

•White diamonds are produced by mines all over the world in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

•The white diamonds recovered from the Argyle mine are particularly brilliant and of high quality.

White diamond will display slight to bold flashes of pink when viewed from the top.

Champagne diamonds are naturally coloured diamonds that are produced in a wide range of colours from light straw to rich cognac

Fancy yellow diamonds come in a broad range of shades ranging from light yellow colour.

A limited quantity of fancy yellow diamonds is recovered from the Argyle mine.

A limited quantity of fancy green diamonds is recovered from the Argyle mine.

The penetration of colour is not deep.

Fancy blue diamonds are available in a wide range of shades, from the blue of the sky to a more "steely" colour than sapphire.

Fewer number of this diamond is mined in Argyle mines.

The Argyle Diamond Mine is one of the world's largest suppliers of diamonds, producing approximately 20 million carats each year from its operations in the East Kimberley region, in the remote north of Western Australia.

The Mine is owned by the multimillion dollar company called Rio Tinto. This company has 100% ownership of the mine.

DIAMOND IS MINED IN 3 PROVINCES IN SOUTH AFRICA.

1.GAUTENG PROVINCE2.LIMPOPO PROVINCE3.KIMBERLEY.4.LESTHOTHO.

The company that started mining there is DE BEER’S COMPANY.

Pipe mining refers to the extraction of diamonds from volcanic pipes.

Typically, a very large area has to be covered. An average of 250 tonnes of ore must be mined in order to produce a one-carat gem quality polished diamond.

In most countries, a diamond pipe mine is composed of kimberlite, or blue ground.

After the diamond-bearing rock is brought to the surface, it is then transported to a screening plant where the diamonds are separated from the hostrock.

This process involves the extraction of diamonds from riverbeds or ocean beaches.

Millions of years ago, at the time the diamond pipes were formed, some diamonds were weathered out of the pipes and carried great distances along rivers and even into oceans.

A wall is built in beach to hold back the surf. Up to 25 metres of sand is bulldozed aside to

reach the diamond-bearing level. Once reached, the diamond-bearing earth is

removed and transported to screening plants

You will now be given two sheets:

Sheet 1: The Diamond Chain grid.Sheet 2: 9 statements.

TASK 4: Follow the instructions on the second sheet. You need to write the 9 statements in the correct place on the grid.