The Hawaiian Archipelago, the 50th state of the United States, four thousand kilometers from the motherland, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is a beautiful and magical place. It is noteworthy not only because the sport of surfing was born on its beautiful beaches, but also because its largest island is home to one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Kiloya. Since 1983, it does not want to calm down, as the lava is boiling or flowing almost continuously, which is why it is also one of the most closely monitored volcanoes.
In 2018, it erupted so powerfully that it shot an ash plume as high as 9,200 metres. Volcanologists and locals later noticed that the area was full of green-colored, glassy minerals, such as olivine.
There are countless types of iron-magnesium silicate mineral, depending on the ratio of iron and magnesium. However, one type, the olive-green peridot, which is deceptively similar to an emerald, is considered a valuable gemstone, and the darker green it shines (and of course the larger it is), the more valuable it is.
The beach has turned green
Local residents continued to claim that the blessing came from the sky, as did volcanologists This has not been ruled out eitherBut they observed the miracle more carefully. Olivine is found everywhere in the types of igneous rocks that erupt from Kilauea. In addition, this flashy mineral takes solid form for the first time in molten rock beneath the Earth's surface. It floods the area in such large quantities that the sand of one of the coasts, Papakolea Beach, has turned a specific green color.
We can also count on them from heaven
It was already a well-known gem in ancient Egypt, and it is said that Cleopatra's legendary emerald set was actually composed of peridot. Either way, it has always been associated with the light that comes to Earth from the sky as a gift from the sun gods. Regardless of whether they actually come from the fiery depths, they have also been found in meteorites, and more often. For example, in 1979, on a hilltop in Siberia, he found crystals in a space rock that were large enough to make jewelry. the world Larger The cut aquamarine weighs approximately 311 carats (62 grams) and is on display at the American Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. This pillow-shaped stone was found on Zabargad Island in Egypt.
An obvious explanation for this would be that because the olivine crystals are heavier than other materials, they did not drift out to sea, or that they came from beneath hardened, eroded lava from a previous eruption. But the unparalleled green sand beach still presents a sight as if little jewels had fallen onto the landscape. The only question is: could such a thing ever happen?
As surprising as it may seem, researchers aren't completely ruling out intrinsic rain either. A daily occurrence here is that extremely hot (1,100°C) gas-filled liquid magma erupts with lava fountains taller than 20-story buildings, then falls to cover the entire landscape. In it, with olivine grains that have already crystallized underground.
Already in the air or upon impact, they can easily escape through small gaps in porous lava rocks that suddenly cool and harden.
Somehow, this kind of heavenly blessing is unimaginable, not least because there is so much olivine near columnar lava sources. However, they are mostly small eyes that are not really suitable for jewelry making.
They are good friends with diamonds
Aside from its beauty though Just found out It also has another good feature: it can make finding diamonds easier. There are few activities more absurd and more exhausting than diamond mining. There is simply no proven method that guarantees results.
3
Gallery: Green gemstones fell from the sky in HawaiiPhoto: nameinfame/Getty Images Hungary
Geologists can cling to only one basic principle: diamonds can only be found where they are found Kimberlite The labeled mineral is shown. It is no coincidence that the richest diamond deposits are almost exclusively associated with this type of rock. However, searching for kimberlite is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Even if it happens with great luck, success is highly doubtful.
Until now, half of these indicator rocks were known to be composed of olivine of variable composition, but if olivine crystals contain more magnesium than iron, it's not very good news for diamond hunters. Therefore, there is a close relationship between the formation of olivine and diamond deposits. It is true that magnesium is the winner here, and for the precious (dark green) type of olivine, it contains more iron.
The two minerals go hand in hand, but is it worth it to explore the land and hike around Kilauea Volcano, as is the case at Crater of Diamonds State Park, in Arkansas, where tourists find an average of two diamonds a day, often costing millions of forints worth of pieces? ?
Even pieces as small as one and a half centimeters in diameter (about 2 carats, 0.4 grams) can be worth several tens of thousands of forints if they are of good quality (color, shape, clarity, crystal flaws). Although crystals of several centimeters are rare (as are diamonds), a 10-carat polished aquamarine one and a half centimeters long can be worth one million forints, and one 20-carat one up to three millions also. Not to mention, it is supposed to soothe and heal, and even if there is no evidence for it, if we believe in it, we can no longer go wrong. She is also seductively beautiful.
Follow Index on Facebook too!
