Gravity sorting is used to separate diamonds from what type of materials?

Gravity sorting is a method utilized in the diamond mining industry to effectively separate diamonds from heavier materials found within the ore. Diamonds possess a significant density compared to many other minerals and materials. In the process of gravity sorting, the materials are subjected to various mechanical forces, allowing the heavier diamonds to settle or float away from lighter materials, such as sand or gravel. This technique takes advantage of the differences in density and helps efficiently concentrate diamonds by removing the less dense material that surrounds them in the natural deposit.

Choosing lighter materials would not take advantage of the key principle of density that gravity sorting relies upon; the correct approach focuses on segregating heavier materials, which is where diamonds are generally found during the initial extraction processes. Therefore, the method primarily targets the heavier components in order to isolate the desired gemstones effectively.