How to tell the difference between diamonds and quartz,
Ladysmith saga: How to identify an uncut rough diamond
Tests revealed that the stones that were discovered in Ladysmith earlier this month were not diamonds but quartz crystals.
How to tell the difference between diamonds and quartz,
Identifying a diamond in the rough requires a more scientific approach that uses a combination of positive tests to identify an uncut rough diamond accurately.
DIAMONDS IS THE HARDEST NATURALLY OCCURING MINERAL
According to Sciencing diamonds can scratch every other mineral, but only diamonds can scratch diamonds.”
The website furthermore explained that diamonds don’t like water.
“So miners sometimes use grease to separate diamonds from other rocks and minerals. They pour a slurry of material to be sorted across a greased table.
“The diamonds stick in the grease, while the rest of the material is carried across the table. Also, about 30 percent of diamonds fluoresce under shortwave ultraviolet light, usually showing up as light blue but also possibly glowing white, yellow, orange or red.”
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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DIAMONDS AND QUARTZ
A diamond and quartz in nature have very different crystal structures.
Charles Maia, a Master Goldsmith explained on Monday that the carbon atoms forming diamonds usually arrange themselves into squat isometric crystals.
“Diamond crystals, measure almost the same in all directions whether single or twinned. The eight-sided crystals can appear as two pyramids connecting base to base.
Meanwhile, a quartz’s silicon dioxide molecules align to form six-sided hexagonal crystals, usually longer than they are wide. Quartz crystals grow so that only one end terminates in a hexagonal pyramid.
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LADYSMITH DIAMOND RUSH EARLIER THIS MONTH
Several people have posted videos and images on social media of what they believe to be large diamonds that they have found in KwaHlathi.
A team of officials, geoscientists and mining experts from the national Department of Mineral Resources and Energy conducted an inspection of the site on the 15th of June 2021.
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KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development MEC Ravi Pillay said the tests conducted conclusively revealed that the stones discovered in the area are not diamonds as some had hoped. What has been discovered is quartz.
“The value, if any, of the quartz crystals is yet to be established but it must be mentioned that the value of quartz crystals is very low compared to that of diamonds.”
