Diamond (gemstone) Diamond (gemstone) A diamond (from the "adámas", meaning "unbreakable", "proper", or "unalterable") is one of the best-known and most sought-after gemstones. Diamonds have been used as decorative items since ancient times; some of the earliest references can be traced to 25,000 - 30,000 B.C. The hardness of diamond and its high dispersion of light—giving the diamond its characteristic "fire"—make it useful for industrial applications and desirable as jewelry. Diamonds are such a highly traded commodity that multiple organizations have been created for grading and certifying them based on the "four Cs", which are color, cut, clarity, and carat. Other characteristics,
Buffalo Head Hills kimberlite field kimberlite province, along with the Birch Mountains kimberlite field and the Mountain Lake cluster. It is located about north of the city of Edmonton in the Buffalo Head Hills of northern Alberta. The area lies within the Canadian boreal forest and is sparsely settled. Access is via Alberta Highway 88. Deep beneath the BHH kimberlite field lies a 2.0 to 2.4 billion year old Precambrian craton called the Buffalo Head Terrane, which has no exposure at surface. The Precambrian craton is overlain by about of Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, which are covered by as much as of unconsolidated glacial