| What do you usually find in a creek bed-some | | | | remains a mystery. |
| minnows, tadpoles, or crawfish? What would you | | | | Argyle Diamond Mine now produces more than a |
| expect to find in a desert stream? What if among | | | | third of the world's total annual supply of |
| the stones and eddies you happened upon a raw | | | | diamonds. Eighty percent of the diamonds that |
| diamond? | | | | come from this mine are of the brown variety. |
| Diamonds were suspected to be present in the | | | | This is the birthplace of most of the world's |
| deserts of Western Australia since the late 19th | | | | chocolate diamonds, which are responsible for |
| century. But it wasn't until 1976 that some | | | | billions of dollars in diamond sales. In recent years, |
| geologists stumbled upon precious stones lying in | | | | less expensive cultured diamonds, those made in |
| Smoke Creek, near Lake Argyle. After a little | | | | a laboratory, are becoming more popular because |
| more digging, this remote region of Australia was | | | | of their similarity to natural diamonds. Chocolate |
| discovered to possess one of the largest deposits | | | | diamonds were once not considered as valuable |
| of diamonds in the world. | | | | as white diamonds. Over time, though, the world |
| Natural diamonds need three main ingredients in | | | | has come to enthusiastically embrace their unique |
| order to exist: heat, pressure, and carbon. With | | | | beauty and elegance. |
| temperatures has high as 2300 degrees | | | | Chocolate diamonds demonstrate several things. |
| Fahrenheit, under extreme pressure, carbon | | | | They are, like all diamonds, examples of the |
| atoms grow into diamonds, the hardest substance | | | | worst of conditions producing priceless results. We |
| known on earth. A pure carbon diamond is | | | | too are made of carbon, honed and formed by |
| colorless. When a diamond has traces of other | | | | the heat and pressure of our experiences. |
| elements, such as nitrogen or boron, it exhibits a | | | | Chocolate diamonds also demonstrate the reward |
| shade of color. Structural deformities that | | | | that follows endurance and patience; that which is |
| occurred during the formation of the diamond can | | | | valuable can be found if we just keep looking. |
| also be a source of color. Geologists have | | | | Given time, our value will likewise eventually be |
| discovered the elements and conditions that make | | | | recognized. But chocolate diamonds are also the |
| a diamond blue, purple, or yellow. However, the | | | | result of a physical flaw. They are indeed not |
| source of the color of brown or chocolate | | | | perfect. Yet it is their imperfection that is the |
| diamonds, as well as the very rare pink diamonds, | | | | very source of their amazing beauty. |