Deep in the mines of Africa, elusive diamonds lie wrapped in the earth's crust. Possessing much influence, beauty and tension, the hardest substance known in nature 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. Furthermore, only under enormous amounts of heat and pressure can diamonds form into their preliminary crystalline state. Diamonds, in fact, form approximately 150-200 km below the surface and at radical temperatures between 900 and 1300 C°. When these extremes meet, carbon atoms are forced together creating diamond crystals. But how do these gems, rated a ten on Moh's hardness scale, impact the individual lives of millions beyond eliciting the cry of brides-to-be? These colorless, yellow, brown, green, blue, reddish, pink, gray and black minerals are beautiful in their cut state, but how are these otherwise opaque gems recognized and collected? Furthermore, how and why is bloodshed and violence caused over diamonds in Africa, the supplier of approximately 65% ​​of the world's diamonds? (Bertoni) The environmental, social and economic impact of collecting, transporting and processing diamonds is crucial because, contrary to popular belief, much blood has been shed on first world “bling”. For starters, diamonds can be found all over the world. world including countries such as Botswana, Canada, Namibia, Russia, South Africa, Australia and Tanzania. However, diamonds are still quite rare and are only found in two dominant deposits. Primary deposits are often made up of “tubes” of volcanic rock containing diamonds called kimberlites. Deep down...in the middle of the paper...every shape and size, good and bad, holds the journey of a diamond. But a diamond's final destination is in the form of a ring, promising a lifelong commitment to the first world tainted by the blood of third world pain. Works Cited Bertoni, Allessandro. DIAMONDFACTS.ORG. MDBC, 2014. Web. 6 April 2014. .AllAboutDiamonds.org. NP, 2004-2015. Network. 6 April 2014. Kimberley Process (kp). World Trade Organization, 2014. Web. 6 April 2014. .Amensty International. Np, nd Web. 6 April 2014. .Peley, Scott. Brilliant earth. BBB, 2005-2014. Network. April 6, 2014. Brink Global Services. Np, 2014. Web. 6 April. 2014. .