One of the hottest topics of 2017 has been the happy news that England’s most eligible bachelor has finally locked it down with American actress Meghan Markle. The whole world has been a-buzz with the ensuing frenzy of planning their spring wedding…but could it be that a hot proposal by Prince Harry could also lend some interesting insights into the hot, harrowing history of the earth’s crust?
The Botswana resort where Meghan and Prince Harry fell in love.
…Of course, no royal proposal would be complete without the perfect, fairy-tale ring…a romantic at heart, Prince Harry used diamonds from his mother’s private collection, as well as a central Diamond hailing from Botswana (where the royal romantics met). These days, the African nation enjoys a climate of relative volcanic peace compared to what once was: a clime so fraught with explosive volcanic power that it rained diamonds on more than one occasion (an event which would have pleased the likes of Marilyn Monroe, but for the scalding ash and magma that came with it!).
It’s no secret that Botswana has boasted more diamonds than any other part of the world since the eighties…while it’s true that these lovely, lustrous gems can exist anywhere in great quantity, in most parts of the world they’re also inconveniently located 100-or-so miles underground. It takes a historically massive upheaval to send them into the air and a bit closer to the surface for miners and princes alike to easily find. Research by scientists like Janne Koornneef has indicated two such events in the region Markle’s diamond hails from, both 1.1 billion and 3 billion years ago.
This first batch was caused when the Zimbabwe Craton -a rather sizeable chunk of the earth’s crust- broke free and slammed into a neighboring craton! The second time a diamond-scattering took place, it was during a time from whence the ‘Umkondo Large Igenous Province’ drew its name…the entire region was completely transformed by the large and overactive volcanoes covering the terrain.
…Not so interested in tackling the trip to Botswana for a blind date, like the auspicious pair did, or in facing walls of steaming ash for your diamonds? Maybe consider giving a visit to the Eve Alfille Gallery & Studio up in Evanston instead!
