Diamond preservation in the lithospheric mantle recorded by olivine in kimberlites

Andrea Giuliani (), David Phillips, D. Graham Pearson, Soumendu Sarkar, Alex A. Müller, Yaakov Weiss, Robin Preston, Michael Seller and Zdislav Spetsius
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Andrea Giuliani: Institute for Geochemistry and Petrology, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zürich
David Phillips: University of Melbourne
D. Graham Pearson: University of Alberta
Soumendu Sarkar: University of Melbourne
Alex A. Müller: University of Alberta
Yaakov Weiss: The Hebrew University
Robin Preston: De Beers Group
Michael Seller: De Beers Group
Zdislav Spetsius: Institute of Diamond and Precious Metal Geology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The diamond potential of kimberlites is difficult to assess due to several mantle and magmatic processes affecting diamond content. Traditionally, initial evaluations are based on the compositions of mantle-derived minerals (garnet, chromite, clinopyroxene), which allow an assessment of pressure-temperature conditions and lithologies suitable for diamond formation. Here we explore a complementary approach that considers the conditions of diamonds destruction by interaction with melts/fluids (metasomatism). We test the hypothesis that carbonate-rich metasomatism related to kimberlite melt infiltration into the deep lithosphere is detrimental to diamond preservation. Our results show that high diamond grades in kimberlites worldwide are exclusively associated with high-Mg/Fe olivine, which corresponds to mantle lithosphere minimally affected by kimberlite-related metasomatism. Diamond dissolution in strongly metasomatised lithosphere containing low-Mg/Fe olivine provides a causal link to the empirical associations between low diamond grades, abundant Ti-Zr-rich garnets and kimberlites with high Ti and low Mg contents. This finding show-cases olivine geochemistry as a viable tool in diamond exploration.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42888-x

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