Whereas there was requires the return of the notorious Koh-i-Noor to India, it, together with the Cullinan II (also referred to as the Second Star of Africa), are believed to be ‘super-deep’ diamonds.

In line with science web site Physorg.com, “An evaluation of the primary massive diamonds confirmed to return from deep below the Earth’s floor helps preliminary predictions displaying that the Smithsonian’s well-known Hope diamond could also be ‘tremendous deep’, originating from greater than 3 times deeper within the Earth than most diamonds.

“It additionally suggests, in a brand new discovering, that the ‘Crown Jewels’ Cullinan diamond might also be a super-deep diamond.”

The analysis comes from a research by Dr. Evan Smith of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and was offered on the Goldschmidt Geochemistry Convention final yr.

“We examined the primary massive gem diamonds confirmed to originate from Earth’s decrease mantle, which is a number of instances deeper than most different diamonds. The outcomes assist earlier predictions based mostly on smaller gems, suggesting that diamonds with properties just like these studied, together with each the Cullinan and Hope diamonds, are super-deep diamonds”, Smith defined.

Smaller diamonds are identified to materialise below excessive strain at a comparatively shallow depth of 140-200 kilometres amid oxygen-rich rocks. Against this, the most important diamonds are doubtless forming 140-200 kilometres beneath the floor inside patches of oxygen-deprived liquid metallic, therefore the time period ‘tremendous deep’.

» Background studying: World Well-known Diamonds

A BBC report printed on Friday states that “The biggest diamonds within the British Crown Jewels could also be items of the traditional ocean ground, which have drifted down into the inside of our planet – then come again up once more.”

BBC Future senior journalist Zaria Gorvett defined, “a number of the carbon in super-deep diamonds could also be from historic sea creatures, which have been buried in oceanic plates that subsequently drifted down into the mantle”.

She notes, “Almost 120 years later, the mega-diamond [Cullinan] has not been forgotten. Throughout the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral procession, a number of of the Cullinan’s descendants have been positioned on the Monarch’s coffin, and rode alongside together with her – they have been solely eliminated as she was lowered into the royal vault.

“That is as a result of right this moment these big gems are a part of the Crown Jewels, usually saved within the Tower of London and introduced out for state occasions – the Cullinan I now resides within the British Sovereign’s Sceptre, whereas its next-largest sibling, the Cullinan II, is embedded within the Imperial State Crown.”

The 2020 research by Smith – together with Wuyi Wang, GIA vp analysis – analysed the 124-carat diamond and located that it fashioned on the deeper finish of the attainable vary – not less than 660km (410 miles) beneath the Earth’s floor.

Extra studying
Cullinan 1-9: World Well-known Diamonds
The World’s Most Well-known Diamonds
The ‘super-deep’ royal diamonds revealing Earth’s secrets and techniques
Each the well-known Hope diamond and British Crown Jewel diamonds, could also be “super-deep”