Alien Russian Rock with 30,000 Diamonds Price Revealed
A rock with 30,000 embedded diamonds has been donated to science as it is worthless.
Contrary to common perception, the rock is not worth millions as the diamonds are too small in size for any gem use, reports Christian Science Monitor. However, geologists examining it are gung-ho about the find as the rock is one of a kind to come along and a find so rare that it could help understand the chemistry behind a diamond's making in the Earth.
"The exciting thing for me is there are 30,000 itty-bitty, perfect octahedrons, and not one big diamond. The [chemical] reactions in which diamonds occur still remain an enigma," Larry Taylor, a University of Tennessee geologist reportedly said according to Live Science.
The diamond-rock was found in Udachnaya open pit mine in Russia by men working for mining company Alrosa, IB Times reported. The company decided to handover it over to researchers.
X-ray imaging of the rock showed that the diamonds in the rock were octahedral in shape (like two pyramids stuck together) and measuring 1 mm in size. Given the large number of diamonds, the concentration compared to normal ore is said to be a million times higher in carat terms.
Researchers also shot electrons into cavities within the diamonds to identify the material present. This, they said would help understand how they were made. The experiment helped researchers conclude that it was a rare case of fluid crystallization from deeper layers of Earth which made its way to the crust or the topmost layer.
The findings are expected to be published next month.
