6 Precious Gems Far More Rare Than Diamonds
SciShow・10 minutes read
Minerals are diverse, with over 5000 types identified, most of which are rare, like tanzanite or hazenite, despite common misconceptions about diamond scarcity. Unique minerals like ichnusaite and bridgmanite demonstrate the Earth's complex geological processes, from tectonic activity to high-pressure conditions in the mantle.
Insights
- Diamonds are not as rare as commonly believed; the truly rare ones are red diamonds formed under high pressure.
- Minerals like Hazenite, Ichnusaite, and Fingerite are extremely rare due to specific geological conditions and unique formation processes, making them scarce and valuable.
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Recent questions
What are minerals?
Solid compounds with orderly atomic patterns.
Where is tanzanite sourced from?
Mereani Hills in Tanzania.
Why are diamonds not as rare as perceived?
Red diamonds are the truly rare ones.
How is hazenite formed?
Blue-green algae releasing compounds under high pH conditions.
What makes bridgmanite rare?
Specific conditions of high pressure and temperature.
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Summary
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Rare Minerals: Hazenite, Tanzanite, Bridgmanite, Fingerite
- Minerals are solid compounds and inorganic elements with an orderly atomic pattern, with over 5000 types identified by geologists.
- More than half of the 5000 minerals are extremely rare, found in only five or fewer locations, such as hazenite and fingerite.
- Diamonds, despite their common perception as rare, are not actually rare; red diamonds, formed under high pressure, are the truly rare ones.
- Tanzanite, also known as blue zoisite, is a rare mineral sourced only from the Mereani Hills in Tanzania, with a unique color due to vanadium impurities.
- Tanzanite's formation 585 million years ago involved tectonic activity, resulting in a pleochroic mineral that changes color based on light angle.
- Hazenite, found in Mono Lake, is created by blue-green algae releasing compounds that combine with lake water elements under high pH conditions.
- Ichnusaite, discovered in Sardinia, is rare due to its combination of molybdenum and thorium, with a unique formation process still being studied.
- Bridgmanite, found deep within the Earth's mantle, is rare due to its specific conditions of high pressure and temperature, making up 38% of the Earth's volume.
- Fingerite, named after a person, forms near the Izalco volcano in El Salvador under specific temperature and element ratio conditions, dissolving in water.
