Rocksday

Kimberlite

A rare volcanic rock from deep in the mantle — the main source of diamonds.

Kimberlite specimen
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify kimberlite

  • Blue-green to gray, often brecciated.
  • Contains fragments of other rocks and mantle minerals.
  • Weathers to crumbly 'yellow ground'.

Often confused with

Where it's found

  • Kimberley, South Africa
  • Botswana
  • Yakutia, Russia
  • Northwest Territories, Canada

Uses

Diamond mining.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling.

Did you know?

It's named after Kimberley, South Africa, site of the hand-dug 'Big Hole' diamond mine.

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