Diamonds from the mine are sorted into two groups, industrial and gem quality. Many of the stones are full of bits of mineral which reduce their value and make them unsuitable for jewellery. Gem quality diamonds are sorted according to their weight, colour, clarity and shape. Every year over 20 tonnes of diamonds are mined, but only a small amount is of gem quality. The rest are industrial diamonds, and the demand for them is high.
Diamonds are probably one of the most abundant gems on Earth but they are hard to reach. The world’s supply and prices of diamonds are very carefully controlled. This has resulted in a huge inflation in the price of diamonds.
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