Diamond mining is the process of forming THCA diamonds, or crystals, from a cannabis concentrate, typically either live resin or terp sauce. Another name for this process is called recrystallization due to the reformation of cannabinoids into crystals. This creates a highly pure, crystallized version of THCA with the terpenes removed or separated.
What are THC Diamonds?
Both the process and the end product are often referred to as diamond mining as the crystals resemble small diamonds.
Diamond Mining with Live Resin and Terp Sauce
Live resin extracts and terp sauce are often confused as they both contain high levels of terpenes and cannabinoids and are both considered full-spectrum extracts. Live resin is often used for the recrystallization, or diamond mining, process and is a waxy cannabis extract derived from a source plant that is flash-frozen at subcritical temperatures prior to extraction. This allows for retaining a very high terpene profile.
Terp sauce is another type of cannabis extract with concentrations of terpenes and more of a runny, liquid “œsauce”t hat is used for dabbing or vaping. There are many different terp sauce variations, and some liquid extracts can be combined with a potent distillate or solid isolates of CBD or THCA. Terp sauce is also what’s left behind when diamond mining, which results in the creation of two separate products, pure THCA crystalline diamonds and terp sauce that consists of more than 50% terpenes and other extracted cannabinoids.
Making quality THCA diamonds involves the usage of high-quality cannabis plant material from the most potent, exciting strains available. Each cannabis strain has unique properties regarding crystallization potential and resin stability. Starting with quality strains grown from high-quality cannabis seeds and a little trial and error will help you realize your favorite strains that are best suited for diamond mining.
What are THC Diamonds?
Diamonds, wax, sugar, and shatter, are all virtually the same thing with a different tweak during the post-processing to provide the desired viscosity. Cannabis diamonds, like many other things in the industry, were basically discovered by accident through hydrocarbon extraction. One of the most typical methods of making diamonds is with butane, although using CO2 can eliminate the need for using butane or propane.
Making diamonds is about encouraging the separation of terpenes from cannabinoids for a potent end product. The THC crystals can vary in size and shape and are approximately 97% to 99% pure THCa, which is an inactive cannabinoid. THCa is non-psychoactive until heat transforms THCa into THC. Diamonds are typically enjoyed in a vape or dab rig because smoking with bongs or in joints does not burn hot enough to provide the heat needed to make this important transformation.
Diamond mining is usually left to the specialists and requires having all of the right equipment and following all safety precautions.
How to Make THC Diamonds
THCA diamonds, just like diamond gems, are formed under high pressure. They must first be extracted from the cannabis plant with a cold extraction method. This is typically performed in the same way as making live resin by flash-freezing a fresh harvest to preserve the integrity of all trichomes, terpenes, and cannabinoids.
Cannabis diamonds are acidic in nature, which means you wouldn’t want to decarboxylate them; this would destroy the crystals. When a user vapes or dabs a diamond, this heat causes the release of nearly 80% to 90% pure, potent THC. The second part of the process is performed by using either a crystalline method or a closed-loop system.
With the crystalline method, a supersaturated solution is developed by mixing a solvent with a cannabis concentrate that has been highly refined with all terpenes and lipids removed. With the application of pressure and heat, the solvent is slowly evaporated, which allows for the perfect environment for the formation of crystals. The THCA crystals will form and separate, falling to the bottom of the vessel where THCA molecules bond together to form crystalline structures.
With a closed-loop system, a liquid solvent separates active compounds from trichome glands and produces a solution which is a mixture of the solvent in the compounds. The solvent must then be removed for the solution to be produced into a cannabis concentrate. The majority of solvent-based extractions require the quick removal of solvents, although this is not the case when diamond mining. Instead of purging residual solvents with a vacuum, some of the solvent is left behind with a supersaturated solution of high THCA. By allowing the solvent to purge away slowly, THCA crystalline structures are formed, which can take several weeks.
Remember, quality cannabis products start with quality cannabis seeds. You can get the best quality weed seeds online from Mosca Seeds.
Mosca Seeds is recognized worldwide as a master cannabis seed breeder, practicing the best in cannabis seed genetics was several cannabis cup wins. We offer a wide range of high-quality marijuana seeds and a variety of strains, including potent Indica, Sativa, and hybrids in regular, feminized, and auto-flowering. Check out the Seed Bank to get the best cannabis seeds online before starting your cannabis extraction process, such as diamond mining.