How much pressure and time does it take to turn a rock into a diamond?

Answer 1

A rock will never turn into a diamond regardless of time and pressure unless that rock happens to be a pure carbon rock.

There are many people now who have sytnthetic presses that can make diamonds (of various quality, usually not too pretty) in a relatively short time.

There is lots of information on the net and wikipedia has a decent article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_diamond

Answer 2

The time is purely a factor of the pressure. The pressure is the key - other than the fact that the rock MUST be pure carbon. If the rock is say copper or iron or a mixture of things like granite, NO pressure will turn that rock into a diamond. A diamond is a crystaline form of pure carbon. If no carbon, then no diamond.

Answer 3

Diamonds are formed by prolonged exposure of carbon bearing materials to high pressure and temperature. On Earth, the formation of diamonds is possible because there are regions deep within the Earth that are at a high enough pressure and temperature that the formation of diamonds is thermodynamically favorable. Under continental crust, diamonds form starting at depths of about 150 kilometers (90 miles), where pressure is roughly 5 gigapascals and the temperature is around 1200 degrees Celsius (2200 degrees Fahrenheit). Diamond formation under oceanic crust takes place at greater depths because of higher temperatures, which require higher pressure for diamond formation. Long periods of exposure to these high pressures and temperatures allow diamond crystals to grow larger.

Diamonds can also form in other natural high-pressure, high-temperature events. Very small diamonds, known as microdiamonds or nanodiamonds, have been found in impact craters where meteors strike the Earth and create shock zones of high pressure and temperature where diamond formation can occur. Microdiamonds are now used as one indicator of ancient meteorite impact sites.

Answer 4

"Under continental crust, diamonds form starting at depths of about 150 kilometers (90 miles), where pressure is roughly 5 gigapascals and the temperature is around 1200 degrees Celsius (2200 degrees Fahrenheit). Diamond formation under oceanic crust takes place at greater depths because of higher temperatures, which require higher pressure for diamond formation. Long periods of exposure to these high pressures and temperatures allow diamond crystals to grow larger... Diamonds that have come to the Earth's surface are generally very old, ranging from under 1 billion to 3.3 billion years old."

Answer 5

If the rock has no carbon or is not a carbon based rock it does not really matter as no amount of pressure over any amount of time will turn it into a diamond. Diamonds are made as a result of intense pressure on carbon based material. i.e. , cubic zirconia.

Answer 6

Diamonds are formed by prolonged exposure of carbon bearing materials to high pressure and temperature. On Earth, the formation of diamonds is possible because there are regions deep within the Earth that are at a high enough pressure and temperature that the formation of diamonds is thermodynamically favorable. Under continental crust, diamonds form starting at depths of about 150 kilometers (90 miles), where pressure is roughly 5 gigapascals and the temperature is around 1200 degrees Celsius (2200 degrees Fahrenheit). Diamond formation under oceanic crust takes place at greater depths because of higher temperatures, which require higher pressure for diamond formation. Long periods of exposure to these high pressures and temperatures allow diamond crystals to grow larger.


The slightly misshapen octahedral shape of this rough diamond crystal in matrix is typical of the mineral. Its lustrous faces also indicate that this crystal is from a primary deposit.Through studies of carbon isotope ratios (similar to the methodology used in carbon dating, except with the stable isotopes C-12 and C-13), it has been shown that the carbon found in diamonds comes from both inorganic and organic sources. Some diamonds, known as harzburgitic, are formed from inorganic carbon originally found deep in the Earth's mantle. In contrast, eclogitic diamonds contain organic carbon from organic detritus that has been pushed down from the surface of the Earth's crust through subduction (see plate tectonics) before transforming into diamond. These two different source carbons have measurably different 13C:12C ratios. Diamonds that have come to the Earth's surface are generally very old, ranging from under 1 billion to 3.3 billion years old.

Diamonds occur most often as euhedral or rounded octahedra and twinned octahedra known as macles or maccles. As diamond's crystal structure has a cubic arrangement of the atoms, they have many facets that belong to a cube, octahedron, rhombicosidodecahedron, tetrakis hexahedron or disdyakis dodecahedron. The crystals can have rounded off and unexpressive edges and can be elongated. Sometimes they are found grown together or form double "twinned" crystals grown together at the surfaces of the octahedron. This is all due to the conditions in which they form. Diamonds (especially those from secondary deposits) are commonly found coated in nyf, an opaque gum-like skin.

Diamonds can also form in other natural high-pressure, high-temperature events. Very small diamonds, known as microdiamonds or nanodiamonds, have been found in impact craters where meteors strike the Earth and create shock zones of high pressure and temperature where diamond formation can occur. Microdiamonds are now used as one indicator of ancient meteorite impact sites.

Answer 7

Not sure about the pressure but am thinking in the tons. Time thousands of years or seconds, hence artificial diamonds. If i remember correctly diamonds are made of carbon primarily and the other elements determine color clarity and such.

Answer 8

hundreds and thousand of years it starts out as peat Mose than it turns into coal under the pressure of gravity and coal tuens into a diamond.

Answer 9

lots of pressure and heat. and a couple million years. and it's coal, not rock.

Answer 10

I thought it was coal and millions of years?