How long does it take for a diamond to form?

It takes many many of years Dimonds dont just form like we do

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It takes millions of years for diamonds to form.

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Diamonds are consisted of carbon, in an almost pure form, thus it is impossible to use the radioactive dating method to discover their "age". Some researches have conducted in attempt to solve this dilemma, some have used inner diamond inclusions, to date back the approximate diamond formation date. It is definite that different diamonds in different locations form in various time scales. Temperature, pressure and abundance of carbon all determine whether a diamond can be formed but also determine the speed of the diamond formation process. Even if an unearthed diamond's age could be determined, than this couldn't lead to any conclusion regarding the length of the diamond formation process, since the formed diamond might have remained in the same state during many many years, before being mined. Many diamonds which are unearthed are estimated to be more than 3 billion years old.

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Are you asking about naturally occurring diamonds or synthetic artificial diamonds? If you're talking about natural diamonds, I think it takes millions of years, but if you're talking about synthetic diamonds it's a whole different story. In the lab, under the appropriate conditions which usually involve very high temperature and pressure, an artificial diamond (cubic zirconium) could be formed in a matter of weeks. That's quite a difference, isn't it?

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Your question shouldn't be confused with a diamond's age, because there is a clear difference between the two. It is estimated that a naturally occurring diamond would take approximately 1 to 3 million years to form. However, once the diamond is formed, it could sit underground and undetected for billions upon billions of years.

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