Diamond Mining (Chapter 6, Key Terms & Key Concepts)

Question 1

Underground mining that involves
building a concrete-lined tunnel under an ore deposit,
then collecting the ore through openings in the liner.

Answer 1

Block caving

Question 2

Measure
of a mine’s productivity based on the carat weight of
the rough diamonds it produces per 100 metric tons of ore.

Answer 2

Carats per hundred metric tons (cpht)

Question 3

A recovery process that
separates diamonds from lighter material. Also called
heavy media separation.

Answer 3

Dense media separation

Question 4

A horizontal tunnel drilled through a diamond
pipe.

Answer 4

Drift

Question 5

An apparatus that uses diamonds’
affinity for grease to separate them from other
minerals.

Answer 5

Grease belt

Question 6

Removal of mineral-bearing ore
from a large surface excavation

Answer 6

Open-pit mining

Question 7

Sand, gravel, or rock that covers a
diamond pipe. Must be removed to reach diamond bearing ore.

Answer 7

Overburden

Question 8

Reduction of newly mined ore to
a manageable size.

Answer 8

Primary crushing

Question 9

Any method used to separate diamonds
from ore or alluvial sediments

Answer 9

Recovery

Question 10

An apparatus that washes away dirt and
clay from diamond-bearing ore.

Answer 10

Scrubber

Question 11

A recovery method that uses
X-rays to detect diamonds and an air jet to remove
them from ore.

Answer 11

X-ray separation

Question 12

Most modern diamond-mining operations are large in scale
and extremely expensive.

Answer 12

Key Concept

Question 13

Improved technology caused a shift in emphasis from alluvial
to primary diamond mining.

Answer 13

Key Concept

Question 14

Namibia holds perhaps the largest marine diamond deposits
in the world. (More than 80 million carats says DeBeers)

Answer 14

Key Concept

Question 15

Potentially profitable diamond sources are rare.

Answer 15

Key Concept

Question 16

India was the world’s only major diamond source until the
eighteenth century

Answer 16

Key Concept

Question 17

While some of Brazil’s production is now from kimberlite
pipes, the majority of its diamond deposits are still alluvial.

Answer 17

Key Concept

Question 18

Africa has the world’s most diverse diamond sources.

Answer 18

Key Concept

Question 19

The Cullinan mine is known for producing blue diamonds as
well as very large diamonds.

Answer 19

Key Concept

Question 20

The Finsch Mine (located in South Africa) is the most technologically advanced underground
mine in the world.

Answer 20

Key Concept

Question 21

Russia’s diamond sources are almost all primary.

Answer 21

Key Concept

Question 22

Australia’s Argyle mine was the first commercially important
primary source of diamonds in lamproite.

Answer 22

Key Concept

Question 23

The Argyle Mine (located in Australia) is famous for producing rare and valuable
pink diamonds.

Answer 23

Key Concept

Question 24

New discoveries in Canada make it an important twenty-first century diamond producer

Answer 24

Key Concept

Question 25

Russia’s diamond sources are almost all

Answer 25

primary.

Question 26

The largest percentage of world diamond production (by weight) is mined in

Answer 26

Argyle Mine/retest

Question 27

Most modern diamond-mining operations are

Answer 27

large in scale and extremely expensive.

Question 28

Shortly before the discovery of the South African deposits, the world’s major diamond producer was

Answer 28

Brazil.

Question 29

Removal of mineral-bearing ore from a surface excavation is called

Answer 29

open-pit mining.

Question 30

Most diamonds from Australia are

Answer 30

small and poor in quality.

Question 31

Russia’s significant diamond deposits are in

Answer 31

Siberia.

Question 32

The Argyle mine is famous for diamonds that are

Answer 32

pink.

Question 33

Diamond’s attraction to grease is used in

Answer 33

separating diamond from ore gravels.

Question 34

A horizontal tunnel drilled through a diamond pipe is called a

Answer 34

drift.

Question 35

Dense media separation is based on the fact that

Answer 35

diamond are heavy/retest

Question 36

African diamonds are recovered from

Answer 36

pipe, alluvial, and marine deposits.

Question 37

Dirt and clay are washed from diamond-bearing ore by

Answer 37

scrubbers.

Question 38

Chambering and block caving are methods used in

Answer 38

mining diamond pipes.

Question 39

The shift in emphasis from alluvial to primary diamond mining was due to

Answer 39

improved technology.