Kimberlite tailings suitability of this material for use in bituminous mixes. The laboratory studies indicate that kimberlite tailings can be used in subbase and base course layers in a road pavement. They can also be used in bituminous macadam as the base course and in premix carpet as a wearing course. A 1-km-long road was constructed near the diamond mine using kimberlite tailings, and its performance was monitored during a period of 1 full year. The road's performance was found to be satisfactory. However, since kimberlite is one of the fastest weathering rocks found on the surface of the Earth it is
Gemstone irradiation Gemstone irradiation The gemstone irradiation is a process in which a gemstone is artificially irradiated in order to enhance its optical properties. High levels of ionizing radiation can change the atomic structure of the gemstone's crystal lattice, which in turn alters the optical properties within it. As a result, the gemstone's color may be significantly altered or the visibility of its inclusions may be lessened. The process, widely practised in jewelry industry, is done in either a nuclear reactor for neutron bombardment, a particle accelerator for electron bombardment, or a gamma ray facility using the radioactive isotope cobalt-60. Irradiation has