How are dirt and clay removed from diamond-bearing ore?

The removal of dirt and clay from diamond-bearing ore is accomplished using scrubbers. Scrubbers are specialized equipment designed to wash away unwanted materials from the ore, enabling the extraction of valuable gemstones, including diamonds. This process involves the use of water and mechanical agitation to separate the lighter dirt and clay from the denser diamond-bearing material.

The effectiveness of scrubbers lies in their ability to efficiently process large quantities of ore while minimizing the risk of damaging the diamonds themselves. They create an environment that facilitates the separation of the diamonds from their associated materials without the need for manual labor, ensuring a more streamlined and efficient operation.

In contrast, the other methods mentioned may not provide the same level of efficiency or effectiveness in separating diamonds from the associated materials. For instance, using wind and gravity may not adequately address the fine materials mixed with the ore, while manual tools like pickaxes and shovels are labor-intensive and less precise. Boiling and filtering could potentially damage the diamonds if not executed with care, and this method does not effectively separate different materials at scale.