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3.3. CSR in Rosy Blue
3.3.1 About Rosy Blue
A. The Diamond Pipeline from Mine to Consumer (11)
Exploration
Mining
Sorting & Valuation
Rough market
Cutting & Polishing
Polished market
Jewellery Manufacture
Retail
Exploration Diamonds are found all over the world with companies investing in exploration, always looking for a new, substantial source.
Formation Diamonds are beautiful, mysterious and rare. They survive an incredible journey to reach us, a journey that may have begun as long as 3.3 billion years ago. They are created when carbon is
immense pressure and temperature deep within the earth, at distances of 250 miles o more. One of nature's most unique and dazzling gifts, diamonds come from two types of deposits. Primary deposits generally consist of diamond-bearing 'pipes' of a volcanic rock called 'kimberlite'. From deep in the earth these deposits were carried to the surface in molten rock, known as magma. Secondary deposits, also referred to as alluvial, were formed as a result of erosion of material from primary deposits and contain diamonds that have travelled some distance from their original source. Even though world diamond production has tripled since 1980, diamonds remain a scarce resource. More than 12,000 kimberlite deposits have been found worldwide in the last 25 years, yet fewer than
1% have contained enough diamonds to make them economically viable. Geologists utilise many methods in diamond exploration, including satellite surveys, reconnaissance sampling and drilling in the ground. Some diamond producing countries include Botswana, Canada, Namibia, Russia, South Africa, Australia, and Tanzania.
Mining Diamonds come from two types of deposits; each type requires special mining techniques. Primary deposits, in which diamonds are contained in kimberlite pipes, require open pit or underground mining operations. Secondary deposits are defined as diamonds that have travelled from their original location due to erosion. These require alluvial mining, which uncovers diamonds in riverbed, coastal and marine/undersea locations.
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