heavily on rare earth elements imported from China, while rare earth elements are essential in technologies. Rare earth elements can make high quality permanent magnets, and are therefore irreplaceable in the production of electrical appliances and technologies, including televisions, phones, wind turbines and lasers. Palaeozoic (539-350 million years ago) A copper-molybdenum (Cu-Mo) system originated in both the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (North) and the Qinling Orogenic Belt (South). The Central Asian Orgenic belt ore deposits occurred in arc complexes. They formed from the closure of Paleo-Asian ocean. The subduction generated copper and molybdenum Cu-Mo mineralization in the lithosphere block margins. Duobaoshan Cu and Bainaimiao Cu-Mo deposits are found in granodiorite. Tonghugou deposits occur with the copper ore chalcopyrite. North China hosted a large reserve of molybdenum with more than 70 ore bodies found in the Northern margin of the craton. Mineral deposits in southern margin of the North China Craton are next to the Qinling orogenic belt. Some deposits were formed during the amalgamation of the North and South China blocks. A rifting-subduction-collision processes in Danfeng suture zone generated VMS deposits (Cu-Pb-Zn) in the arc area and a marginal fault basin. During the opening of Paleo-Qinling oceans in this period, nickel-copper deposits formed with peridotite gabbro bodies and the ores can be found in Luonan. Mesozoic (251-145 million years ago) Gold (Au) deposits in the Mesozoic are very abundant. The formation environment of the gold includes intercontinental mineralization, craton destruction and mantle replacement. The origin of the gold is from Precambrian basement rocks of the Jiaodong Complex and underlying mantle which underwent high grade metamorphism when intruded with Mesozoic granitoids. The largest cluster of gold deposits in China is found in the Jiaodong peninsula (east of Shandong Province). The area yielded one-fourth of the country's gold production but consisted only of 0.2% of the area of China. The three sub-clusters of gold deposits in northern China are Linglong, Yantai and Kunyushan respectively. Diamond production China has been producing diamonds for over 40 years in the North China Craton. At first, diamonds were produced from alluvial deposits, but later on technology improved and the diamonds are now produced from kimberlitic sources. There are two main diamond mines in China, the China Diamond Corps' 701 Changma Mine in Shandong province and the Wafangdian Mine in Liaoning Province. The former operated for 34 years and produced 90,000 carats of diamonds per year. The