Debunked Myths

The romantic notion of diamonds as compressed coal is a geological fairy tale. While both consist of carbon, they form through completely different processes in entirely separate environments. Coal develops as a sedimentary rock from compressed plant remains in shallow, swampy surface conditions.

Diamonds, however, form 90-120 miles deep in Earth's mantle under immense pressure and extreme heat. Their carbon source likely comes from primordial material trapped during planetary formation or subducted oceanic crust—not surface vegetation. Most diamonds predate the first land plants that would become coal by billions of years.

This myth stems from simplistic chemistry understanding and coincidental mining locations where diamond and coal deposits appear together. The reality is far more dramatic: diamonds journey from the deep mantle through violent volcanic eruptions, making their origin story more ancient and violent than the gradual transformation of plants into coal.