Hostname: page-component-669899f699-ggqkh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-25T15:10:28.466Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Diamonds from Wellington, NSW: insights into the origin of eastern Australian diamonds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

R. M. Davies ,
S. Y. O'Reilly  and
W. L. Griffin
R. M. Davies
Affiliation:
GEMOC National Key Centre, School of Earth Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
S. Y. O'Reilly
Affiliation:
GEMOC National Key Centre, School of Earth Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
W. L. Griffin
Affiliation:
GEMOC National Key Centre, School of Earth Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia CSIRO Exploration and Mining, P. O. Box 136, North Ryde, NSW, 1067, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Diamonds from alluvial deposits near Wellington, New South Wales, have been characterized on the basis of morphological features, mineral inclusions, C isotope signatures, N content and aggregation state and internal structure. The diamonds are of two types. The larger group (Group A) is indistinguishable from diamonds found worldwide from kimberlitic and lamproitic host rocks. This group is inferred to have formed in a peridotitic mantle source in Pre-Cambrian subcratonic lithosphere. The second group (Group B) is unique in its internal structures (which show evidence of growth in a stress field and non-planar facets), has unusually heavy C isotopic compositions and contains Ca-rich eclogitic inclusions. This group is inferred to have formed in a subducting slab. Diamonds of both groups have external features (corrosion structures and polish) indicating transport to the surface by lamproitic-like magmas. The diamonds show evidence of long residence at the earth's surface and significant alluvial reworking: they are not accompanied by typical diamond indicator minerals.

Keywords

alluvial diamondsdiamond inclusionscarbon isotopes in diamonddiamond deformationN aggregation in diamondgrowth structures in diamond
Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 63 , Issue 4 , August 1999 , pp. 447 - 471
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Allan, A.D. and Leitch, E.C. (1990) The nature and origin of eclogite blocks in serpentinite from the Tamworth Belt, New England Fold Belt, eastern Australia. Austral. J. Earth Sci., 37, 43–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, B.P. and Evans, T. (1981) Aggregation of nitrogen in diamond, including platelet formation. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond., A375, 93–104.Google Scholar
Allègre, C.J., Provost, A. and Jaupart, C. (1981) Oscillatory zoning: a pathological case of crystal growth. Nature, 294, 223–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bai, W.J., Zhou, M.F. and Robinson, P. T. (1993) Possibly diamond-bearing peridotites and podiform chromites in the Luobusa and Donqiao ophiolites, Tibet. Canad. J. Earth Sci., 30, 1650–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barron, L.M., Lishmund, S.R., Oakes, G.M. and Barron, B.J. (1994) Subduction diamonds in New South Wales. Implications for exploration in eastern Australia. Q. Notes, Geol. Surv. New Sout. Wales 94, 1–23.Google Scholar
Barron, L.M., Lishmund, S.R., Oakes, G.M., Barron, B.J. and Sutherland, F.L. (1996) Subduction model for the origin of some diamonds in the Phanerozoic of eastern New South Wales. Austral. J. Earth Sci., 43, 257–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, R.E. (1995) Mineral deposits of the Bingara, Croppa Creek, Gravesend and Yallaroi 1:100 000 sheet areas. Q. Notes, Geol. Surv. New South Wales, 98, 1–32.Google Scholar
Bulanova, G.P. (1995) The formation of diamond. J. Geochem. Expl., 53, 1–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bulanova, G.P., Griffin, W.L., Ryan, C.G., Shestakova, O.Y. and Barnes, S.-J. (1996) Trace elements in sulfide inclusions from Yakutian diamonds. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol., 124, 111–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bulanova, G.P., Griffin, W.L. and Ryan, C. G. (1998) Nucleation environment of diamonds from Yakutian kimberlites. Mineral. Mag., 62, 409–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burgess, R., Phillips, D., Harris, J.W. and Robinson, D.N. (1998) Diamonds in South-eastern Australia? Hints from 40Ar/39Ar Laser Probe Dating of Clinopyroxene Inclusions from Copeton Diamonds. Ext. Abst. 7th Int. Kimberlite Conf., Cape Town, pp. 119–21.Google Scholar
Cartigny, P., Boyd, S.R., Harris, J.W. and Javoy, M. (1997) Nitrogen isotopes in peridotitic diamonds from Fuxian, China: the mantle signature. Terra Nova, 9, 175–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collins, W.J. and Vernon, R.H. (1992) Palaeozoic arc growth, deformation and migration across the Lachlan Fold Belt, southeastern Australia. Tectonophys., 214, 381–400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collins, W.J. and Vernon, R.H. (1994) A rift-drift-delamination model of continental evolution: Paleozoic tectonic development of eastern Australia. Tectonophys., 235, 249–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dobrzhinetskaya, L.F., Eide, E.A., Larsen, R.B., Sturt, B.A., Tronnes, R.G., Smith, D.C., Taylor, W.R. and Posukhova, T.V. (1995) Microdiamond in high-grade metamorphic rocks of the Western Gneiss region, Norway. Geology, 23, 597–600.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, T. (1992) Aggregation of nitrogen in diamonds. In The Properties of Synthetic and Natural Diamonds (Field, J.E., ed.), pp. 259–90, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Evans, T. and Harris, J.W. (1989) Nitrogen aggregation, inclusion equilibration temperatures and the age of diamonds. In Kimberlites and Related Rocks, Vol. 2, Their Mantle/Crust setting (Ross, J., ed.). Geol. Soc. Aust. Special Publ., 14, 1002–6.Google Scholar
Frank, F.C., Lang, A.R., Evans, D.J.F., Rooney, M.L.T., Spear, P.M. and Welbourn, C.M. (1990) Orientation-dependent nitrogen incorporation of vicinals on synthetic diamond cube growth surfaces. J. Cryst. Growth, 100, 354–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griffin, W.L., O'Reilly, S.Y. and Davies, R.M. (1998) Subduction-related diamond deposits? Constraints and possibilities. Rev. Econ. Geol, in press.Google Scholar
Hall, A.E. and Smith, C.B. (1985) Lamproite diamonds - are they different? In Kimberlite Occurrence and Origin: A basis for conceptual models in exploration (Glover, J.E. and Harris, P.G., eds). The University of Western Australia, Publ. No. 8, pp. 167–212.Google Scholar
Handler, M.R., Bennet, V.C. and Esat, T.M. (1997) The persistence of off-cratonic lithospheric mantle: Os isotopic systematics of variably metasomatised southeast Australian xenoliths. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 151, 61–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harris, J.W. (1992) Diamond Geology. In The Properties of Synthetic and Natural Diamonds, (Field, J. E., ed.). Academic Press, pp. 325–93.Google Scholar
Hoefs, J. (1980) Stable Isotope Geochemistry. Springer- Verlag, Berlin, pp. 208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holten, T., Jamtveit, B., Meakin, P. Cortini, M., Blundy, J. and Austrheim, H. (1997) Statistical characteristics and origin of oscillatory zoning in crystals. Amer. Mineral., 82, 596–606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Humbert, F., Libourel, G., Marty, B. and France-Lanord, C. (1997) Nitrogen solubility in silicate melt under oxidized and reduced conditions using laser extraction/static mass spectrometry analysis. Abstr. 7th Ann. V.M. Goldschmidt Conf., pp. 101–2.Google Scholar
Joris, A. (1983) Some uncuttable diamonds from N.S.W.. Australia, Indiaqua. 36, 41–3.Google Scholar
Jamtveit, B. and Andersen, T.B. (1994) Morphological instabilities during rapid growth of metamorphic garnets. Phys. Chem. Min., 19, 176–84.Google Scholar
Kaiser, W. and Bond, W.L. (1959) Nitrogen, a major impurity in common Type I diamond. Phys. Rev., 115, 857–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kamiya, Y., and Lang, A.R. (1964) On the structure of coated diamonds. Phil. Mag., 11, B347–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirkley, M.B., Gurney, J.J., Otter, M.L., Hill, S.J. and Daniels, L.R. (1991) The application of C isotope measurements to the identification of the sources of C in diamonds. a review. Appl. Geochem., 6, 477–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lang, A.R. (1964) Dislocations and the origin of trigons. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond., A278, 234–42.Google Scholar
MacNevin, A.A. (1977) Diamonds in New South Wales. Mineral Resources No. 32, Department of Mines, Geological Survey of New South Wales, 125 p.Google Scholar
Mahlzahn, H. (1997) Diamonds. In Gem News, Gems and Gemology (Spring edition), pp. 60–1.Google Scholar
McCallum, M.E., Huntley, P.M., Falk, R.W. and Otter, M.L. (1994) Morphological, resorption and etch feature trends of the diamonds from kimberlite populations within the Colarado-Wyoming Stateline District, USA. In Diamonds: Characterisation, Genesis and Exploration, Vol. 2 (Meyer, H.O.A. and Leonardos, O.H., eds). CPRM Spec. Publ. 1B, Brasilia, pp. 32–50.Google Scholar
Mendelssohn, M.J. and Milledge, H.J. (1995) Geologically significant information from routine analysis of the mid-infrared spectra of diamonds. Int. Geol. Rev., 37, 95–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mendelssohn, M.J., Milledge, H.J., Vance, E.R., Nave, E. and Woods, P.A. (1983) Internal radioactive haloes in diamond. In Diamond Research. London, Industrial Diamond Information Bureau, pp. 31–6.Google Scholar
Meyer, H.O.A. (1987) Inclusions in Diamond. In Mantle Xenoliths (Nixon, P.H., ed.). John Wiley & Sons, New York and Chichester, pp. 501–22.Google Scholar
Meyer, H.O.A., Milledge, H.J. and Sutherland, F.L. (1995) Unusual diamonds and unique inclusions from New South Wales, Australia. Abst., 6th Int. Kimberlite Conf., Novosibirsk, Russia, pp. 379–81.Google Scholar
Meyer, H.O.A., Milledge, H.J. and Temby, P. (1997) Unusual diamonds and unique inclusions from New South Wales, Australia. Russ. Geol. Geophy., 38, 305–31.Google Scholar
Northrup, P.A. and Reeder, R.J. (1994) Evidence for the importance of growth-surface structure to trace element incorporation in topaz. Amer. Mineral., 79, 1167–75.Google Scholar
O'Hara, S., Tarshis, L.A., Tiller, W.A. and Hunt, J.P. (1968) Discussion of interface stability of large facets on solution grown crystals. J. Cryst. Growth, 3-4, 555–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Reilly, S.Y. (1989) Nature of the east-Australian lithosphere. In Intraplate Volcanism in Eastern Australia and New Zealand, (Johnson, R.W. ed.). Cambridge University Press, pp. 290–7.Google Scholar
O'Reilly, S.Y. and Griffin, W.L. (1985) A xenolith-derived geotherm for southeastern Australia and its geophysical implications. Tectonophys., 111, 41–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Reilly, S.Y. and Griffin, W.L. (1995) Trace element partitioning between garnet and clinopyroxene in mantle-derived pyroxenites and eclogites: P-T-X controls. Chem. Geol., 121, 105–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orlov, Y. L. (1977). The Mineralogy of the Diamond. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 342 p.Google Scholar
Ortoleva, P.J. (1990) Role of attachment kinetic feedback in the oscillatory zoning of crystals grown from melts. Earth Sci. Rev., 29, 3–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pearson, D.G., Davies, G.R. and Nixon, P.H. (1993) Geochemical constraints on the petrogenesis of diamond facies pyroxenites from the Beni Bousera peridotite massif, North Morocco. J. Petrol., 34, 125–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pearson, D.G., Davies, G.R. and Nixon, P.H. (1995) Orogenic ultramafic rocks of ultrahigh-pressure (diamond facies) origin. In Ultrahigh Pressure Metamorphism (Coleman, R.G. and Wang, X., eds). Cambridge University Press, pp. 456–510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pouchou, J.L. and Pichoir, F. (1984) A new model for quantitative X-ray microanalysis. Part 1: application to the analysis of homogeneous samples. Recherche Aérospatiale, 5, 13–38.Google Scholar
Reeder, R.J., Fagioli, R.O. and Meyers, W.J. (1990) Oscillatory zoning of Mn in solution-grown calcite crystals. Earth Science Rev., 29, 39–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, J. and Engel, B.A. (1987) Depositional and tectonic history of the southern New England Orogen. Aust.J. Earth. Sci., 34, 1–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, D.N. (1980) Surface textures and other features of diamonds. Ph.D. thesis (unpublished), University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa, 221 p.Google Scholar
Robinson, D.N., Scott, J.A., van Niekerk, A. and Anderson, V.G. (1989) The sequence of events reflected in the diamonds of some southern African kimberlites. In: Kimberlites and Related Rocks, Vol. 2, Their Mantle/Crust setting (Ross, J., ed.). Geol. Soc. Aust. Special Publ., 14, 990–1000.Google Scholar
Seal, M. (1965) Structure in diamonds as revealed by etching. Amer. Mineral., 50, 105–25.Google Scholar
Sobolev, N.V. (1985) Crystalline inclusions in diamonds from New South Wales, Australia. In Kimberlite Occurrence and Origin: A basis for conceptual models in exploration (Glover, J.E. and Harris, P.G., eds). The University of Western Australia, Publ. No. 8, pp. 213–26.Google Scholar
Sobolev, N.V. and Shatsky, V.S. (1990) Diamond inclusions in garnets from metamorphic rocks: a new environment of diamond formation. Nature, 243, 742–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sobolev, N.V., Yefimova, E.S., Lavrent'yev, Y.G. and Sobolev, V.S.D. (1984) Dominant calcsilicate association of crystalline inclusions in placer diamonds from southeastern Australia. Dokl. Akad. Nauk. SSSR, 274, 172–5.Google Scholar
Sunagawa, I. (1984) Growth of crystals in nature. In Materials of the Earth's Interior (Sunagawa, I., ed.). Terra Scientific Publ. Co. (TERRAPUB), Tokyo, pp. 63–105.Google Scholar
Sunagawa, I., Horita, S. and Sawata, H. (1983) Surface micro-topography of diamonds from Thailand. J. Gemmol. Soc. Japan, 10, 3–35.Google Scholar
Sunagawa, I., Tsukamoto, K. and Yasuda, T. (1984) Surface microtopographic and X-ray topographic study of octahedral crystals of natural diamond from Siberia. In Materials of the Earth's Interior (Sunagawa, I., ed.). Terra Scientific Publ. Co. (TERRAPUB), Tokyo, pp. 331–49.Google Scholar
Sutherland, F.L., Temby, P., Raynor, L.R. and Hollis, J.D. (1994) A review of the East Australian diamond province. In: Diamonds: Characterisation, Genesis and Exploration, Vol. 2 (Meyer, H.O.A. and Leonardos, O.H., eds). CPRM Spec. Publ. 1B, Brasilia, pp. 170–84.Google Scholar
Taylor, W.R., Jaques, A.L. and Ridd, M. (1990) Nitrogen-defect aggregation characteristics of some Australasian diamonds: Time-temperature con- straints on the source regions of pipe and alluvial diamonds. Amer. Mineral., 75, 1290–310.Google Scholar
Van Heerden, L.A., Gurney, J.J. and Deines, P. (1995) The carbon isotopic composition of harzburgitic, lherzolitic, websteritic and eclogitic paragenesis diamonds from southern Africa: a comparison of genetic models. S. African J. Geol., 98, 119–25.Google Scholar
Vance, E.R. and Milledge, H.J. (1972) Natural and laboratory alpha-particle irradiation of diamond. Mineral. Mag., 38, 871–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vance, E.R., Harris, J.W. and Milledge, H.J. (1973) Possible origins of α-damage in diamonds from kimberlitie and alluvial sources. Mineral. Mag., 39, 349–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Veevers, J.J. (1994) Case for the Gamburtsev subglacial mountains of east Antartica originating by mid-Carboniferous shortening of an intracratonic basin. Geology, 22, 593–596.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xu, S., Okay, A.I., Ji, S., Sengor, A.M.C., Su, W., Liu, Y. and Jian, L. (1992) Diamond from the Dabie Shan metamorphic rocks and its implication for tectonic setting. Science, 256, 80–2.Google Scholar
Zhang, M. and O'Reilly, S.Y. (1997) Multiple sources for basaltic rocks from Dubbo, eastern Australia: geochemical evidence for plume-lithospheric mantle interaction. Chem. Geol., 136, 33–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar