A comparison of two methods to assess diamond potential using major and trace element analysis of diamond heavy mineral concentrate (peridotitic and eclogitic garnets) ...

• Main Author: Lear, GR
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: University Of Tasmania 2023
• Subjects: Yakutia
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25959/23232944; https://figshare.utas.edu.au/articles/thesis/A_comparison_of_two_methods_to_assess_diamond_potential_using_major_and_trace_element_analysis_of_diamond_heavy_mineral_concentrate_peridotitic_and_eclogitic_garnets_/23232944

Thirty garnets from each of nine kimberlite pipes from southern Africa and Yakutia were analysed for major element as well as for trace element concentrations using electron and proton probes. The concentrates came from a mix of barren and diamondiferous kimberlites as well as from both on-craton and off-craton localities. The major element approach (using plots of CaO vs Cr\\(_2\\)O\\(_3\\)and Na\\(_2\\)O vs TiO\\(_2\\)) was used to predict the diamond potential of the source(s) from which the garnets were derived. Histograms of TiO\\(_2\\) were used to separate high and low temperature garnet populations. The major element method correctly predicted the diamond potential of the source of five out of nine (56%) of the concentrates from the geochemistry of the eclogitic garnets contained within them. The same garnets were analysed for trace element levels of nickel and the nickel concentration in each garnet grain was used to calculate its temperature of crystalisation by use of the garnet-nickel ...