Diamonds 6 — Diamond Mining

Question 1

A horizontal tunnel drilled through a diamond pipe is called a

A.	path.
B.	drift.
C.	shaft.
D.	channel.

Answer 1

B. drift.

Question 2

Chambering and block caving are methods used in

A.	mining diamond pipes.
B.	mining alluvial deposits.
C.	testing the productivity of diamond pipes.
D.	testing the productivity of alluvial deposits.

Answer 2

A. mining diamond pipes.

Question 3

The Argyle mine is famous for diamonds that are

A.	pink.
B.	blue.
C.	large.
D.	colorless.

Answer 3

A. pink.

Question 4

Dense media separation is based on the fact that

A.	diamonds stick to grease.
B.	most diamonds fluoresce when X-rayed.
C.	diamonds float to the top of a mix of gravels.
D.	diamonds sink to the bottom of a mix of gravels.

Answer 4

D. diamonds sink to the bottom of a mix of gravels.

Question 5

Most modern diamond-mining operations are

A.	done with simple hand tools.
B.	small in scale and not very expensive.
C.	large in scale and extremely expensive.
D.	performed in temperature-controlled environments.

Answer 5

C. large in scale and extremely expensive.

Question 6

Most diamonds from Australia are

A.	large, but of poor color.
B.	large and near colorless.
C.	small and poor in quality.
D.	small, but of good quality.

Answer 6

C. small and poor in quality.

Question 7

African diamonds are recovered from

A.	pipe deposits only.
B.	alluvial deposits only.
C.	marine deposits only.
D.	pipe, alluvial, and marine deposits.

Answer 7

D. pipe, alluvial, and marine deposits.

Question 8

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

A.	India.
B.	Brazil.
C.	Russia.
D.	Canada.

Answer 8

B. Brazil.

Question 9

Russia’s significant diamond deposits are in

A.	Siberia.
B.	Belorussia.
C.	the Crimea.
D.	the Kaliningrad Oglast.

Answer 9

A. Siberia.

Question 10

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

A.	drift mining.
B.	open-pit mining.
C.	open-air mining.
D.	original-source mining.

Answer 10

B. open-pit mining.

Question 11

Russia’s diamond sources are almost all

A.	alluvial.
B.	primary.
C.	depleted.
D.	secondary.

Answer 11

B. primary.

Question 12

Dirt and clay are washed from diamond-bearing ore by

A.	cleaners.
B.	agitators.
C.	scrubbers.
D.	grease belts.

Answer 12

C. scrubbers.

Question 13

Diamond’s attraction to grease is used in

A.	separating diamond from ore gravels.
B.	fashioning diamond into fancy shapes.
C.	separating gem-quality from industrial diamonds.
D.	sorting and grading operations at the Diamond Trading Company.

Answer 13

A. separating diamond from ore gravels.

Question 14

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

A.	Brazil.
B.	Angola.
C.	Australia.
D.	Indonesia.

Answer 14

C. Australia.

Question 15

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

A.	improved technology.
B.	environmental concerns.
C.	depletion of secondary sources.
D.	political and governmental pressures.

Answer 15

A. improved technology.