Deep in the mines of Africa, elusive diamonds lie shrouded in the earth's crust. Possessing much influence, beauty and tension, the harshest natural substance known causes parallel events of unity and destruction on opposite sides of the globe. Diamonds, derived from the Greek word “adamas,” meaning invincible, form deep in the mantle and are composed entirely of carbon. Additionally, only under enormous amounts of heat and pressure can diamonds reach their preliminary crystalline state. In fact, diamonds form about 150 to 200 km below the surface and at radical temperatures ranging from 900 to 1,300 °C. When these extremes meet, carbon atoms are forced together to create diamond crystals. But how do these gems, rated ten on the Moh's hardness scale, impact the individual lives of millions, beyond making brides-to-be scream? These colorless, yellow, brown, green, blue, reddish, pink, gray and black minerals are beautiful in their cut state, but how are these otherwise dull gemstones recognized and harvested? Furthermore, how and why is bloodshed and violence caused by diamonds in Africa, supplier of approximately 65% ​​of the world's diamonds? (Bertoni) The environmental, social and economic impact of harvesting, transporting and processing diamonds is crucial because contrary to popular belief, a lot of blood has been spilled over the “bling” of the first world. To begin with, diamonds are found all over the world. world, including countries like Botswana, Canada, Namibia, Russia, South Africa, Australia and Tanzania. However, diamonds remain quite rare and only come from two dominant deposits. Primary deposits are often made up of diamondiferous “pipes” of volcanic rock called kimberlite. Deep in the middle of the paper......and every shape and size, good and bad, encompasses a diamond's journey. But a diamond's final destination comes in the form of a ring, promising a lifetime commitment to the first world, tainted with the blood of third world sorrow. Works CitedBertoni, Allessandro. DIAMONDFACTS.ORG. MDBC, 2014. Web. April 6, 2014. .AllAboutDiamonds.org. NP, 2004-2015. Internet. April 6, 2014. .Kimberley Process (KP). World Trade Organization, 2014. Web. April 6, 2014. .Amensty International. Np, and Web. April 6, 2014. .Peley, Scott. Shining earth. BBB, 2005-2014. Internet. April 6, 2014. .Brink's Global Services. NP, 2014. Web. April 6. 2014. .