30,000 tiny diamonds found in Russian rock


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RUSSIA — An unusual Russian rock features far more diamonds than any woman’s engagement ring.

The diamonds are so small that the mining company that discovered the rock in Russia’s Udachnaya mine decided it would be worth more to science than to the diamond market, according to UPI. Researchers reported the red and green rock has a concentration of diamonds that's more than a million times the average piece of ore.

"The exciting thing for me is there are 30,000 itty-bitty, perfect octahedrons, and not one big diamond," University of Tennessee, Knoxville, geologist Larry Taylor told Live Science. "It's like they formed instantaneously."

Researchers are hoping the rock can provide insight into the chemical process of diamond formation and the Earth’s geologic history. It is a rare find because geologists believe diamond ore is typically destroyed by eruptions in the Earth’s mantle.

The finding was presented at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting on Monday.

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Natalie Crofts

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