Where are diamonds mined in Russia: the largest deposits

Everyone knows that diamond is the most precious stone on earth. It is unique in that it is the hardest, most radiant and sparkling among minerals; its external characteristics are not subject to time, mechanical damage and even fire. Both thousands of years ago and now, diamonds attract humanity, beckoning with their cold beauty. Processed diamonds not only produce magnificent diamonds that adorn luxury jewelry, they are also (due to their properties) used in many industrial sectors. There are enough deposits where diamonds can be found in Russia to say that our country is a diamond power. In this article we will tell you more about the extraction of such a useful and beautiful mineral. So, further about where diamonds are mined in Russia: cities, location of deposits.

Diamonds in nature

In the upper mantle of the Earth, at a depth of more than 100-150 km, under the influence of high temperatures and enormous pressure, pure carbon atoms from the graphite state are modified into crystals, which we call diamonds. This crystallization process takes hundreds of years. After spending several million years in its depths, diamonds are brought to the surface of the earth by kimberlite magma during volcanic explosions. With such an explosion, so-called pipes are formed - kimberlite diamond deposits. The name “kimberlite” comes from the African town of Kimberley, in the area of which diamond-bearing rock was discovered. Nowadays, there are two types of diamond deposits: primary (lamproite and kimberlite) and secondary (placers).

Diamonds were known to mankind three thousand years before our era; the first mentions of them were found in India. People immediately endowed diamond with supernatural properties, thanks to its indestructible hardness, brilliance and transparent purity. It was accessible only to selected persons who had power and authority.

Diamonds from space

September 2012 media releases announced information that Russian scientists had declassified data about the largest “alien” diamond mines on the planet. The Popigai deposit is known to the world for its sensational occurrence on the border of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Yakutia.

This is a meteorite crater, the result of a cosmic body falling into graphite rocks. Under high pressure and heating, the transition of graphite into dense structural carbon modifications occurred. This is how crystals called impact diamonds were formed.

These crystals are very different from kimberlite crystals. They have a needle or plate shape. And they are not at all suitable as a material for jewelry; they are used exclusively for technical purposes.

Diamond producing countries

Since each diamond is unique in its kind, it is customary to separate their accounting among world countries according to production volumes and in value terms. The bulk of diamond production is distributed among only nine countries. These are Russia, the Republic of Congo, Botswana, Australia, Canada, Angola, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

In value terms, the leaders among these countries are Russia, African Botswana and Canada. Their total diamond production accounts for more than 60% of the value of the world's mined diamonds.

For incomplete 2021 (according to the latest data), Russia takes first place in terms of production volumes and value. Its share in value terms accounts for about 40% of total world production. This leadership has belonged to Russia for several years.

The first diamond in the Russian Federation

Now in more detail about production in our country. When and where did diamond mining in Russia first begin? This happened in the 19th century, in the summer of 1829, the serf teenager Pavel Popov, panning for gold at the Krestovozdvizhensky gold mine in the Perm province, found an incomprehensible pebble. The boy gave it to the caretaker and after assessing the precious find, he was given his freedom, and all other workers were told to pay attention to all the transparent stones. So two more diamonds were found. Humboldt, a former German geologist nearby, was told about the place where diamonds are mined in Russia. Then the development of the diamond mine began.

Over the next thirty years, about 130 diamonds were discovered, weighing a total of 60 carats. In total, before 1917, no more than 250 precious stones were found in Russia, where diamonds were mined in the Urals. But, despite the insignificant number, they were all of excellent beauty. These were stones worthy of decorating jewelry.

Already in 1937, large-scale expeditions were organized in Soviet Russia to explore Ural diamonds, but they were not crowned with great success. The placers found were poor in precious stone content; primary diamond deposits were never discovered in the Urals.

Siberian diamonds

Since the 18th century, the best minds of our country have wondered where the diamond deposits are in Russia. The great Russian scientist of the 18th century, Mikhail Lomonosov, stated in his writings that Siberia could be a diamond-bearing region. He outlined his assumption in the manuscript “Diamonds Could Have Occurred in the Northern Lands.” However, the first Siberian diamond was found at the end of the 19th century on the Melnichnaya River, near the city of Yeniseisk. Due to the fact that it weighed only two-thirds of a carat, and also due to a lack of funding, exploration of other diamonds in the area was not continued.

And only in 1949 in Yakutia on the Sokolinaya Spit, near the village of Krestya in the Suntarsky Ulus, the first Siberian diamond was found. But this deposit was alluvial. The search for indigenous kimberlite pipes was crowned with success five years later - the first pipe not located in Africa was found near the Daldyn River by geologist Popugaeva. This was a significant discovery in the life of our country. The name of the first diamond-bearing pipe was given in the Soviet style of that time - “Zarnitsa”. The next to be discovered were the Mir pipe and the Udachnaya pipe, where diamonds are still mined in Russia. By the end of 1955, 15 new diamond pipe deposits appeared in Yakutia.

Yakutia, or as the locals call this region, the Republic of Sakha, is the place where gold and diamonds are mined in Russia. Despite the severity of the climate, it is a fertile and generous region, giving our country natural resources.

Below is a map that clearly shows where these precious stones are mined in Russia. The darkest territories are the places where there are the largest number of deposits, and the diamonds themselves are the most expensive in value. As you can see, most of the pipes are concentrated in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). There are also diamonds in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Irkutsk Region, the Republic of Karelia, the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk Regions, the Perm Territory, the Komi Republic and so on.

Geography of occurrence of diamond rock

Diamond is a rare, but widespread stone
Diamond is a rare, but widespread stone. It is considered one of the most significant and valuable minerals.

Diamond deposits are present on all continents except Antarctica. There are more than sixty large diamond deposits under development around the world.

Clusters of diamonds are located in geologically stable parts of continents, as there are suitable conditions conducive to the formation of the mineral. At a depth of 100-200 kilometers, at a temperature of 1100-1300 °C, under a pressure of 35-50 kilobars, the carbon lattice of graphite is transformed into the carbon lattice of diamond. The duration of the process is unknown.

During volcanic eruptions, kimberlite or lamproite magma, which contains diamonds, pours onto the surface of the earth. Only 3 to 4 percent of pipes may contain diamonds.

Initially, diamonds were found in river accumulations in India and Brazil. They were found from time to time during the washing of gold-bearing sand.

The first diamond deposit was discovered in southern Africa in the Kimberley province. It was this name that was taken to designate the diamond-bearing rock.

To date, diamond deposits have been discovered in more than 35 countries. In 25 of them, industrial development of deposits is underway.

Diamond mining in Africa

The richest continent in terms of diamond deposits is Africa, the most developed country of South Africa is in fourth place in the list of leading countries in the diamond industry. $1.3 billion worth of gemstones are mined here every year.

Another African country that has significant deposits of diamond ore is Botswana. The diamonds mined here are of high quality; the country has the largest number of mines, industrial exploration of which began in 1971. The main exporters of precious stones mined here are the countries of Western Europe and the USA.

The African continent has another country with large deposits of diamonds - Angola. Diamond production in the country accounts for 15% of the total world volume and is in fifth place in the ranking. The largest deposit is Fukauma, the cost of diamond production per year is $1.2 billion.

The Diavik quarry in Canada was opened in 2003 and produces about 1,500 kg. diamonds per year

The North American continent is in third place in terms of diamond reserves. The main production is carried out by Canada; it is the leader not only in production volumes, but also in export volumes - $1.4 billion. The largest mine in the country is Ekati.

The largest continent, Eurasia, is also rich in diamond deposits. Russia ranks second in the world in terms of production of these precious metals, the total value is estimated at $2 billion per year. The main deposits in Russia are located in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), as well as in the Perm and Arkhangelsk regions.

The South American continent has long been the leader in diamond production. The very first deposits were discovered in Brazil in 1725; this country was the leader in the diamond mining industry, however, with the active development of African deposits, it began to significantly lose its position.

Argyll Diamond Mine

Diamonds are mainly found in kimberlite pipes. Diamond-bearing lamproite rocks are quite rare. The continent of Australia is rich in lamproite pipes, but only one Argyle lamproite pipe located there is in industrial development.

Of the diamonds mined there, 95% are technical and only 5% can be used in jewelry. The Argyle pipe is also the largest supplier of pink diamonds, which are quite rare.

In Russia, the first diamond was found in 1829 in the Perm province in the Urals by the serf Pavel Popov.

The Udachnaya pipe, the richest in diamond content

Since then, the search for diamond deposits in Russia has been carried out for another century and a half and, in 1954, geologist Larisa Anatolyevna Popugaeva discovered the first Russian primary diamond deposit.

A kimberlite pipe was found in Yakutia in the Daldyn-Alakit region. It was given the name “Zarnitsa”. The discovery of this pipe was the beginning of the entire diamond mining industry in Russia.

A year after the discovery of the Zarnitsa pipe, 10 more kimberlite pipes were found. Among them was the Udachnaya pipe, which was richest in diamond content. Today there are 12 mines in development.

Mirny is the city with the most diamonds in Russia

In the summer of 1955, geologists searching for kimberlite pipes in Yakutia saw a larch tree with exposed roots. This fox dug a hole here. The color of the scattered earth was bluish, which is a characteristic feature of kimberlite. The geologists were not mistaken in their guesses, and after some time they sent a coded message to the top Soviet leadership: “We smoked the pipe of peace, the tobacco is excellent!” A year later, in the west of Yakutia, large-scale development of the Mir kimberlite pipe begins, similar to quarry excavations.

Around a huge quarry in the form of a funnel, a village is formed, named in his honor - Mirny. Within two years, the village turns into the city of Mirny, today it is a city with a population of more than three tens of thousands of residents, 80% of whom are employed in the diamond mining enterprise. It can rightfully be called the diamond capital of Russia, because millions of dollars worth of diamonds are mined here every year.

Now it is the largest quarry not only in Russia, where diamonds are mined, but throughout the world. The depth of the huge quarry is 525 meters, its diameter is about 1200 meters, the quarry could easily accommodate the Ostankino TV tower. And when descending to the center of the quarry, the length of the serpentine road is more than 8 kilometers.

Below in the photo is just this diamond quarry (Mirny, Yakutia).

Photo facts. Diamonds are mined here around the clock. What does a kimberlite pipe look like?

With the permission of the author, we publish photographs and invite readers of the information portal to dive into the Yakut kimberlite pipes, where 99% of Russia’s diamonds are mined.

How are diamonds mined? Mirny and Nyurbinsky mining and processing plants.