Definition
Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.
History
Origin
Kimberley, South Africa
Discoverer
John W. Judd
Etymology
From Kimberley + -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
81% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
86% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
66% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
49% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
48% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
Famous Monuments
-
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Absent
Formation
Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Composition
Mineral Content
Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
97% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
99% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
92% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
260.00 N/mm2
Rank: 4 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Conchoidal
Toughness
-
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 10 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia
Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Others
Antarctica
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia