Russia reveals shiny state secret: It's awash in diamonds

Christian Science Monitor ^ | September 17, 2012 | Fred Weir

[Vince Ferrer]

Russia has just declassified news that will shake world gem markets to their core: the discovery of a vast new diamond field containing "trillions of carats," enough to supply global markets for another 3,000 years.

The Soviets discovered the bonanza back in the 1970s beneath a 35-million-year-old, 62-mile diameter asteroid crater in eastern Siberia known as Popigai Astroblem.

[1010RD]

A few of the smaller ones, no?

[Rebelbase]

That pic came from the UK mail online article about the same thing.

The caption read those were 50 carats.

[Liberty Valance]

"And it's available for viewing in the OS Museum on the second floor of a bank building in the small West Texas town of Post (which is Waylon Jennings' hometown, by the way)."

Actually, Waylon was born in Littlefield just north of Lubbock. I was born in Post in 1954 ;o) Floyd Tillman was born in Post. He wrote "Slippin' Around" which was a big hit for him and Ernest Tubb. I met Tillman years later when a local band I played in opened up for Tillman at a benefit in League City TX.

[1010RD]

A few of the smaller ones, no?

[Liberty Valance]

Check that: Tillman was born in OK ... grew up in Post.

[1010RD]

Mere pebbles. You just go and dip your hands in and gather as many as you like in Russia!

[okie01]

Actually, Waylon was born in Littlefield just north of Lubbock. I was born in Post in 1954 ;o) Floyd Tillman was born in Post.

Thanx for the correction.

I remember Floyd Tillman, as well.

[RichInOC]

“Opulence. We has it.”

[Professional Engineer]

State secret? I read about this in a National Geographic article nearly 30 years ago.

[smokingfrog]

It's conceivable that a meteorite landed on a preexisting diamond field, one populated with terrestrial diamonds dredged up from beneath the Earth's surface by volcanic processes. These diamonds, most often found in volcanic deposits called kimberlite pipes, do exist in Siberia.

"The stars would have had to align for the meteor to have impacted a kimberlite pipe. It would be kind of like a hole in one on the golf course," said April. "But it is possible the diamonds would have re-crystallized at the high temperatures and pressures into what they're calling the very hard form."

Russia Exposes Secret Trove of Impact Diamonds