Figure B-2. Left: A selection of rough Brazilian diamonds, 262 carats total, photographed in Antwerp. The crystal at the center weighs 7.46 ct. The diamonds are from the Braúna kimberlite field near Nordestina. Right: These larger diamond crystals from the Lipari mine include a 3.87 ct resorbed yellow crystal, a 3.49 ct octahedral crystal, and a 2.94 ct macle. Photos by Robert Weldon/GIA, courtesy of Aftergut N. & Zonen and Lipari Mineração Ltda.
Figure 21. The distribution of kimberlites in the cratonic areas of Brazil. According to Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais (2004), there are there are 1,212 known kimberlite bodies distributed throughout the country, most of them concentrated in the Alto Paranaíba region of Minas Gerais.
Figure 19. A simplified map of the São Francisco craton, showing the areas covered by sediments of the geological formation called the Espinhaço Supergroup. The locations of several diamond districts are also shown, including Diamantina, Grão Mogol, and Serra do Cabral in Minas Gerais, and the Chapada Diamantina region (Lençóis, Palmeiras, Andaraí, Mucugê and Morro do Chapéu) in Bahia.
Figure 16. This map shows the Abaeté and nearby river systems in Minas Gerais that have produced large diamonds for many years. Again, the value shown next to each symbol represents the carat weight of the rough crystal found at the location. Discoveries of colored diamonds are indicated by colored symbols. The rivers shown on the map, some of which flow into the Tres Marias reservoir, are all located within the southern portion of the São Francisco River basin.
Figure 14. The Alto Paranaíba region of western Minas Gerais has produced large diamonds along river systems near the towns of Coromandel and Romaria. The symbols indicate where individual large diamonds were found; the value shown next to each symbol represents their carat weight. The site where the famous Star of the South diamond was recovered in 1853 along the Bagagem River is indicated in the lower left corner.
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