Extraction – Summary

Unit 3: Extraction – Treasure Hunting Words

Now we’re going on a treasure hunt! Here are the words that describe how people find and dig up gemstones.

• Extracted – Taken out or removed from something.
• Gem-bearing rocks – Rocks that have gems inside them.
• Deposits – Places where gems or other things collect.
• Erosion – When wind or water wears away rocks or soil.
• Residual – Left behind after some process is finished.
• Eluvial – Gems found close to where they formed, still rough.
• Alluvial – Gems moved by water, smoothed out in rivers or lakes.
• Riverbeds – The bottom of a river where water flows.
• Angular – Having sharp corners, not smooth.
• Sieves – Tools with holes to sort small things like gems from dirt.
• Pans – Flat tools used to wash dirt and find gems.
• Sift – To sort through something to find what you want.
• Commercial – Done by big companies to make money.
• Excavators – Machines that dig big holes.
• Conveyor belts – Moving bands that carry rocks or dirt.
• Artisan – Done by people using simple tools, not machines.
• Conserve – To save or protect something for the future.

International Gem Society

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