New findings explain how the world's biggest and most-valuable diamonds formed -- from metallic liquid deep inside Earth's mantle. The research team studied large gem diamonds like the world ...

Diamonds Unearthed In the first installment of a multi-part series, Smithsonian diamond expert Jeffrey Post explains how the rare crystals form ...

The cause of diamond precipitation has previously been attributed to poorly understood redox changes at depth. Here, the authors propose that a drop in pH during water–rock interactions leads to ...

Most diamonds form from fluids deep inside Earth’s interior that contain carbonate compounds, new research suggests.

Formed millions to billions of years ago, diamonds can shine light into the darkest and oldest parts of the Earth’s mantle. The analysis of ancient, superdeep diamonds dug up from mines ...

The largest diamonds ever mined on earth aren’t just set apart by their large size and luster, but also by a unique origin story. They were born of metal, growing from patches of liquid iron and ...

Formed millions to billions of years ago, diamonds can shine light into the darkest and oldest parts of the Earth's mantle. The analysis of ancient, superdeep diamonds dug up from mines in Brazil ...

Diamonds are essentially just pressurized carbon atoms. When carbon atoms are exposed to extreme pressure and high temperatures, they stick together in an organized fashion to form crystals. One ...

Tiny flaws in diamonds hold the secret to the formation of the first continents. In a new study, researchers used inclusions — imperfections derided by jewelers but valuable to scientists — to ...