What is it and where is it formed?  Diamonds are pure carbon and the hardest mineral of all.  Diamonds are formed by pressure deep inside the Earth. Volcanoes push them closer to the surface. They are found in igneous rock and on river bottoms where erosion dropped them.

How and where is it mined?  Diamonds are mined using open-pit or underground mining.  Diamonds are found with other minerals.  After mining the diamonds, water pushes them across a table that has grease on the bottom.  The minerals get a coating of water and just wash away but the diamonds that don’t coat with water, drop to the bottom, and get stuck on the grease.  At the end, the diamonds are taken off of the greasy table, cleaned, sorted, and sold.  Diamonds are mined in Africa, India, Russia, Brazil, Australia, and the United States [Arkansas].

What is it used for?  Diamonds are used to polish other surfaces and in jewelry.  They are also used in industry to cut things because of their hardness.  Diamond cutting edges are on tools and medical equipment.