Skip to main content
Log in

Conditions of diamond growth: a proton microprobe study of inclusions in West Australian diamonds

  • Published:
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Crystalline primary inclusions in diamonds from the Argyle and Ellendale lamproites have been analyzed for Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Pb, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Ta, Ba and Mo by proton microprobe. Eclogite-suite inclusions dominate at Argyle and occur in equal proportions with peridotite-suite inclusions at Ellendale. Eclogitic phases present include garnet, omphacitic clinopyroxene, coesite, rutile, kyanite and sulfide. Eclogitic clinopyroxenes are commonly rich in K and contain 300–1060 ppm Sr and 3–70 ppm Zr: K/Rb increases with K content up to 1400 at 0.7–1.1% K. Rutiles have high Zr and Nb contents with Zr/Nb=1.5–4 and Nb/Ta ∼16. Of the peridotite-suite inclusions, olivine commonly contains > 10 ppm Sr and Mo; Cr-pyropes are depleted in Sr, Y and Zr, and enriched in Ni, relative to eclogitic garnets.

Eclogite-suite diamonds grew in host rocks that were depleted in Mn, Ni and Cr, and enriched in Sr, Zn, Cu, Ga and Ti, relative to Type I eclogite xenoliths from the Roberts Victor Mine. Crystallization temperatures of the eclogite-suite diamonds, as determined by coexisting garnet and clinopyroxene from single diamonds, range from ∼1085 to ∼1575° C. Log K D (C cpxi /C gnti ) varies linearly with 1/T for Zr, Sr and Ga in most of the same samples. This supports the validity of the temperature estimates; Argyle eclogite-suite diamonds have grown over a T range ≥400° C. Comparison with data from eclogite xenoliths in kimberlites suggests that K SrD and K ZrD are mainly T-dependent, while K GaD may be both temperature-and pressuredependent. K NiD , K CuD and K ZnD show no T dependence in these samples.

In several cases, significant major-and/or trace-element disequilibrium is observed between different grains of the same mineral, or between pyroxene and garnet, within single diamonds. This implies that these diamonds grew in an open system; inclusions trapped at different stages of growth record changes in major and trace-element composition occurring in the host rock. Diamond growth may have been controlled by a fluid flux which introduced or liberated carbon and modified the composition of the rock. The wide range of equilibration temperatures and the range of composition recorded in the inclusions of single diamonds suggest that a significant time interval was involved in diamond growth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bevington PR (1969) Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences. McGraw Hill, New York, 350 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyd FR, Finnerty AA (1980) Conditions of origin of natural diamonds of peridotite affinity. J Geophys Res 85:6911–6918

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyd FR, Nixon PH (1975) Origin of the ultramafic nodules from some kimberlites of northern Lesotho and South Africa. Phys Chem Earth 9:431–454

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyd SR, Seal M, Mattey DP, Mendelssohn MJ, Milledge HJ, Pillinger CT (1986) Zoned diamonds: records of mantle volatile activity. Terra Cognita 7:191

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulanova GP (1986) Compositional evolution of syngenetic inclusions of ultrabasic association in Yakutian diamonds. In: Fourth International Kimberlite Conference, Perth: Abstracts Geol Soc Aust 16:371–373

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulanova GP, Varshaviskiy AV, Leskova NV, Nikishova LV (1979) Central inclusions in natural diamonds. Doklady Akademica Nauk SSSR 244:704–706

    Google Scholar 

  • Clayton EJ (1986) PIXAN — The Lucas Heights PIXE Analysis Package, Australian Atomic Energy Commission, report AAEC-M113: 73 pp

  • Deines P, Gurney JJ, Harris JW (1984) Associated chemical and carbon isotopic composition variations in diamonds from Finsch and Premier kimberlite, South Africa. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 48:325–342

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis DJ, Green DH (1979) An experimental study of the effect of Ca upon garnet-clinopyroxene Fe-Mg exchange equilibria. Contrib Mineral Petrol 71:13–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Fujimaki H, Tatsumoto M, Aoki K-I (1984) Partition coefficients of Hf, Zr and REE between phenocrysts and groundmass. Proc Fourteenth Lun Planet Sci Conf, part 2, J Geophys Res 89. Suppl 2:B662–672

    Google Scholar 

  • Galimov EM (1984) Variations in isotopic composition of diamonds and inferences for diamond genesis conditions. Geokhimyva 8:1091–1118 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffin WL, Murthy VR (1969) Distribution of K, Rb, Sr and Ba in some minerals relevant to basaltic genesis. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 33:1389–1414

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurney JJ, Harris JW, Rickard RS (1984) Silicate and oxide inclusions in diamonds from the Orapa mine, Botswana. In: Kornprobst J (ed) Kimberlites II: The Mantle and Crust-Mantle Relationships. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 3–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurney JJ, Harris JW, Rickard RS, Cardoso P (1986) Mineral inclusions in diamonds from Koffiefontein mine. In: Fourth International Kimberlite Conference, Perth: Abstr Geol Soc Aust 16:389–391

    Google Scholar 

  • Haggerty SE (1987) Metasomatic mineral titanates in upper mantle xenoliths. In: Nixon PH (ed) Mantle Xenoliths. Wiley, New York, pp 671–690

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall AE, Smith CB (1985) Lamproite diamonds — are they different? In: Glover JE, Harris PG (eds) Kimberlite Occurrence and Origin: A Basis for Conceptual Models in Exploration: Geol Dept and Univ Extension, Univ Western Australia, Pub No 8:167–212

  • Harris JW, Collins AT (1985) Studies of Argyle Diamonds. Industrial Diamond Review 3/85, pp 128–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatton CJ, Gurney JJ (1987) Roberts Victor eclogites and their relationship to the mantle. In: Nixon PH (ed) Mantle Xenoliths. Wiley, New York, pp 453–463

    Google Scholar 

  • Hervig RL, Smith JV, Dawson JB (1986) Lherzolite xenoliths in kimberlites and basalts: petrogenetic and crystallochemical significance of some minor and trace elements in olivine, pyroxenes, garnet and spinel. Trans Roy Soc Edinb Earth Sci 77:181–201

    Google Scholar 

  • Hervig RL, Smith JV, Steel IM, Dawson JB (1980a) Fertile and barren Al-Cr-spinel harzburgites from the upper mantle: ion and electron probe analyses of trace elements in olivine and orthopyroxene: relation to lherzolites. Earth Planet Sci Lett 50:41–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Hervig RL, Smith JV, Steele IM, Gurney JJ, Meyer HOA, Harris JW (1980b) Diamonds: Minor elements in silicate inclusions. Pressure-temperature implications. J Geophys Res 85:6919–6929

    Google Scholar 

  • Honda M, Reynolds JH, Roedder E, Epstein S (1987) Noble gases in diamonds: Occurrences of solar-like helium and neon. J Geophys Res (in press)

  • Irifune T, Sekine T, Ringwood AE, Hibberson WO (1986) The eclogite-garnetite transformation at high pressure and some geophysical implications. Earth Planet Sci Lett 77:245–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaques AL, Haggerty SE, Lucas H, Boxer GL (1988a) Mineralogy and petrology of the Argyle (AKl) lamproite pipe, Western Australia. Kimberlites and Related Rocks, Vol 1: Their Composition, Occurrence, Origin and Emplacement: Blackwells (in press)

  • Jaques AL, Hall AE, Sheraton JD, Smith CB, Sun S-S, Drew RM, Foudoulis C, Ellingsen K (1988b) Composition of crystalline inclusions and C-isotopic composition of Argyle and Ellendale diamonds. Kimberlites and Related Rocks, Vol 2: Their Mantle/Crust Setting, Diamonds and Diamond Exploration: Blackwells (in press)

  • Javoy M, Pineau F, Demaiffe D (1984) Nitrogen and carbon isotopic composition in diamonds from Mbuji Mayi (Zaire). Earth Planet Sci Lett 68:399–412

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen BF (1971) Patterns of trace element partitioning. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 37:2227–2242

    Google Scholar 

  • Johansson GI (1985) Modifications of the HEX program for fast automatic resolution of PIXE spectra. X-ray Spectrom 11:194–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramers JG (1979) Lead, uranium, strontium, potassium and rubidium in inclusion-bearing diamonds and mantle-derived xenoliths from southern Africa. Earth Planet Sci Lett 42:58–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurz MD, Gurney JJ, Jenkins WJ, Lott DE, III (1987) Helium isotopic variability within single diamonds from the Orapa kimberlite pipe. Earth Planet Sci Lett 86:57–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Kushiro I, Erlank AJ (1970) Stability of potassic richterite. Carnegie Inst Wash Yearbk 68:231–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Marageter E, Wegscheider W, Muller K (1984) Radiative auger transitions and their consideration in deconvolution of energy dispersive X-ray spectra. X-ray Spectrom 13:78–82

    Google Scholar 

  • McCandless TE, Gurney JJ (1988) Sodium in garnet and potassium in clinopyroxene: criteria for classifying mantle eclogites. Kimberlites and Related Rocks, Vol 2: their Mantle/Crust Setting, Diamonds and Diamond Exploration. Blackwells (in press)

  • MacGregor ID, Manton WI (1986) Roberts Victor eclogites: ancient oceanic crust. J Geophys Res 91:14063–14079

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer HOA (1985) Genesis of diamond: a mantle saga. Amer Mineral 70:344–355

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer HOA (1978) Inclusion in diamond. In: Nixon PH (ed) Mantle Xenoliths. Wiley, London, pp 501–522

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer HOA, Boyd FR (1972) Composition and origin of crystalline inclusions in natural diamonds. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 36:1255–1273

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer HOA, McCallum ME (1986) Mineral inclusions in diamonds from the Sloan kimberlites, Colorado. J Geology 94:600–612

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell RH (1977) Geochemistry of magnesian ilmenites from kimberlites in South Africa and Lesotho. Lithos 10:29–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore RO, Gurney JJ (1986) Mineral inclusions in diamonds from the Monastery kimberlite, South Africa. In: Fourth International Kimberlite Conference, Perth Abstr Geol Soc Aust 16:406–409

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Neill HStC, Jaques AL, Smith CB, Moon J (1986) Diamondbearing peridotite xenoliths from the Argyle (AKl) pipe. In: Fourth International Kimberlite Conference, Perth: Abstr Geol Soc Aust 16:300–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Orlov YuL (1977) The mineralogy of diamond. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Otter ML, Gurney JJ (1986) Mineral inclusions in diamonds from the Sloan diatremes, Colorado-Wyoming State Line kimberlite district, North America. In: Fourth International Kimberlite Conference, Perth: Abstr Soc Aust 16:415–417

    Google Scholar 

  • Prinz M, Manson DV, Hlava PF, Keil K (1975) Inclusions in diamonds: garnet lherzolite and eclogite assemblages. Phys Chem Earth 9:797–815

    Google Scholar 

  • Ray G, Hart SR (1982) Quantitative analysis of silicates by ion microprobe. Int J Mass Spectrom Ion Phys 44:231–255

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid AM, Brown RW, Dawson JB, Whitfield GG, Seibert JC (1976) Garnet and pyroxene compositions in some diamondiferous eclogites. Contrib Mineral Petrol 58:203–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson SH (1986) Latter-day origin of diamonds of eclogitic paragenesis. Nature 322:623–626

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson SH, Gurney JJ, Erlank AJ, Harris JW (1984) Origin of diamonds in old enriched mantle. Nature 310:198–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson SH, Erlank AJ, Hart SR (1985) Kimberlite-borne garnet peridotite xenoliths from old enriched subcontinental lithosphere. Earth Planet Sci Lett 75:116–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson DN, Gurney JJ, Shee SR (1984) Diamond eclogite and graphite eclogite xenoliths from Orapa, Botswana. In: Kornprobst J (ed) Kimberlite II: The Mantle and Crust-Mantle Relationships. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 11–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan CG (1985) Measurement of the g-factor of the excited states of 158Er, PhD thesis, University of Melbourne, 492 pp

  • Ryan CG, Clayton EJ, Griffin WL, Sie SH, Cousens DR (1988) SNIP, a statistics-sensitive background treatment for the quantitative analysis of PIXE spectra in geoscience applications. Nucl Instr and Methods in Physics Research (in press)

  • Seal M (1965) Structure in diamonds as revealed by etching. Amer Mineral 50:105–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Sie SH (1985) An accelerator facility within a mineral research establishment. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Research B10/ 11:664–670

    Google Scholar 

  • Sie SH, Ryan CG (1986) An electrostatic ‘Russian’ quadruplet microprobe lens. Nucl Instrum Methods Physics Research B15:664–668

    Google Scholar 

  • Shimizu H (1980) Experimental study on rare-earth element partitioning in minerals formed at 20 and 30 kb for basaltic systems. Geochem J 14:185–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Shimizu N (1975) Rare earth elements in garnets and clinopyroxenes from garnet lherzolite nodules in kimberlites. Earth Planet Sci Lett 25:26–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Shimizu N, Allegre CJ (1978) Geochemistry of transition elements in garnet lherzolite nodules in kimberlites. Contrib Mineral Petrol 67:41–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Shimizu N, Richardson SH (1987) Trace element abundance patterns of garnet inclusions in peridotite-suite diamonds. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 51:755–758

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith D, Boyd FR (1988) Compositional heterogeneities in peridotite nodules. Kimberlites and Related Rocks, Vol 2: TheirMantle/Crust Setting, Diamonds and Diamond Exploration.Blackwells (in press)

  • Smith D, Wilson CR (1985) Garnet-olivine equilibration during cooling in the mantle. Amer Mineral 70:30–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Sobolev NV, Yefimova ES, Usova LV (1983) Eclogitic paragenesis of diamonds from the Mir kimberlite pipe. In: Mantle xenoliths and problems of ultrabasic magmas: 4–16. Akademica Nauk SSSR, Siberian Branch (in Russian)

  • Sobolev VS, Sobolev NV, Lavrent'yer YuG (1972) Inclusions in diamond extracted from a diamondiferous eclogite. Doklady Academica Nauk SSSR 207:164–167

    Google Scholar 

  • Swart PK, Pillinger CT, Milledge HJ, Seal M (1983) Carbon isotopic variation within individual diamonds. Nature 303:793–795

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Griffin, W.L., Jaques, A.L., Sie, S.H. et al. Conditions of diamond growth: a proton microprobe study of inclusions in West Australian diamonds. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 99, 143–158 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00371457

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00371457

Keywords

Navigation