Question

1) Define "gem". Choose a gem quality mineral. What is your favorite gem? Why? What is the origin of this mineral and why is it valuable? What is the difference between a gem quality mineral and a precious or semi-precious stone? Make sure you give examples of each. 2) Describe how diamonds form. In what geologic environment do they form? What are "blood diamonds"? Are diamonds really that valuable? Are there gems that are more valuable than diamonds? Are there any other uses for diamonds beyond gem quality stones? 3) What are metallic ores? Give an example of one and describe its properties and origin in detail. Also what is that metallic ore used for and how is it mined and processed? 4) Describe how gold forms and what types of geologic environments it is found in. How is gold mined and discuss at least one gold-mining process. Describe the long history of gold's value to societies? How much is gold worth today? Why? What other metallic minerals are highly valuable? Explain why and how valuable (in relation to the price of gold).

Answer 1

A gem is a sort of stone or we can say a semi precious or precious stone which is highly used in jewellery. It is a form of mineral crystal. A gem quality mineral is diamond. My favourite gem is diamond because it is lucky for Leo. My mother gifted me a diamond pendant that I always wear in neck and it is lucky for me. Thus, my favourite gem is diamond.

Diamond originates from carbon. When the atoms in carbon are arranged in a particular structure of crystal, it makes diamond.

Diamond is important since it is the hardest mineral on the earth and is important for their high value in astrology and in jewellery.

A gem quality mineral forms when the mineral is cut and refined to form jewellery and we can further divide it into a precious or semi precious mineral. Its examples are diamond, ruby etc

A semi precious mineral is pearl, opal, moonstone etc while precious stones include diamond, ruby emerald etc. This classification is mainly done for marketing since the semi precious minerals are more abundant and are cheaper than the precious minerals. Actually semi precious minerals are commercially less important.

Diamonds are formed of carbon (as I have already told earlier). But some geologists say that they are formed in mantle and brought out by the volcanoes during eruption. Most of the diamond are found along with coal mines. Diamonds are found in the region of convergence or divergence boundaries and thus it is said that ocean floor is full of diamonds.

A blood diamond is the mining of diamond in a war zone which are later sold in order to get money to finance insurgency. Examples are mining of diamonds in Ivory Coast, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone etc.

Yes, diamonds are valuable but it is often seen that we give them more value that is actually required or what they actually deserve.

Some gems are more valuable than diamond in terms of cost which are Grandidierite, Musgravite, Painite etc.

Yes diamonds are also used in astrology, to cut metals, jewellery etc.

Metallic ores are the mineral that contains metal with some impurity (oxides, sulphides etc) and are found in the environment in free state. One example is bauxite which is an ore of Aluminium and is found in abundance. It is mainly found with silicates in a form that looks like a clay. It can easily be broken. It is found as hydrated aluminium oxide. This metallic ore produces aluminium which is a good conductor of heat and electricity and is used to make wires, utensils etc.

Mining of aluminium – its extraction is expensive and is done using electrolysis method. Firstly, bauxite is brought into a pure form to produce aluminium oxide (which is a white powder) and then aluminium is extracted from it. The ions are free and thus electricity can pass from it. For electrolysis, a graphite cathode and anode is put in molten cryolite. In this process, molten aluminium comes out and aluminium is extracted.

Most of the gold deposits are found in sedimentary or volcanic deposit areas. Hypothesis says that magma was containing gold in it and when it was solidified, gold is formed. Its ore is Aurum. It requires copper or zinc since it is mainly found along with copper and zinc deposits. Kolar mines in India also has gold deposits.

Hard rock mining process is used to extract gold and the other processes are placer mining, by product mining etc. In the process of hard rock mining, tunnels are made underground in the rocks from which gold is taken out. It is widely used.

Gold was used to make utensils, coins etc in the earlier societies as they gave very high importance to gold but were unknown to the importance of gold in electricity as it has high conductivity. They also fought many wars for gold. In today’s times, gold is important in jewellery making since many central banks also reserve money in the form of gold and people also like to keep deposits in the form of gold. Other metallic minerals which are valuable are silver, platinum. Platinum is more costly than gold while silver is less costlier than gold.

I hope the answer is up to your requirement, if you have any query further, please leave a comment since I have tried my best to answer the question, we will try more. Thanks and goodluck