A Gemstone’s Wild Ride

How diamonds erupt from deep within Earth

Thanks to their hardness, durability, and rarity, diamonds are symbols of eternal love and wealth. A new analysis of how these gems emerge from the depths where they were forged billions of years ago suggests that they should also evoke images of diamond-studded fountains of gas and rock.

IN THE ROUGH. This 3-carat octahedral diamond, still embedded in rock from a kimberlite deposit, erupted from deep within Earth at incredible speed, new research suggests.