Most diamonds from Australia are characterized as which of the following?

Most diamonds from Australia are characterized as which of the following?

• A. small and poor in quality
• B. large and high quality
• C. synthetic
• D. rare

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is the typical rough profile of Australian diamonds. Most diamonds mined in Australia are small in size and, for much of the output, are lower in gem quality compared with stones from some other sources. A large share of Australia’s production consists of industrial-grade diamonds used for abrasion and cutting, with only a minority of gem-quality stones. While there are famous colored gems from Argyle, those are the exception rather than the rule, and large, high-quality gem diamonds from Australia are relatively rare. The other options don’t fit because Australia is not known for a predominance of large, flawless gems, these are natural stones (not synthetic), and the production isn’t characterized by extreme rarity.

The main idea here is the typical rough profile of Australian diamonds. Most diamonds mined in Australia are small in size and, for much of the output, are lower in gem quality compared with stones from some other sources. A large share of Australia’s production consists of industrial-grade diamonds used for abrasion and cutting, with only a minority of gem-quality stones. While there are famous colored gems from Argyle, those are the exception rather than the rule, and large, high-quality gem diamonds from Australia are relatively rare. The other options don’t fit because Australia is not known for a predominance of large, flawless gems, these are natural stones (not synthetic), and the production isn’t characterized by extreme rarity.