Experts of the VS Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy (IGM) SB RAS in Novosibirsk experimentally reproduced the co-crystallization of diamond and garnet, as the formation of these stones occurs in nature. socialbites.ca was informed by the press service of the Russian Science Foundation, which supported this research.
The authors of the study simulated the conditions of our planet’s mantle using a high-pressure apparatus of the “truncated sphere” type. It made it possible for the pressure that occurs in nature at a depth of approximately 200 kilometers (approximately 65 thousand times the atmospheric pressure) to occur and to reach temperatures of 950–1550°C.
The setup included garnet samples, 0.5-millimeter diamond seed crystals, graphite, and silver oxalate or oxalic acid (compounds that serve as a liquid source of carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon dioxide under laboratory conditions). After the four-day experiment, the researchers analyzed the structure and chemical composition of the resulting minerals.
The experiment showed that the process of formation of diamond and garnet occurs due to the interaction of the latter with carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon dioxide liquids. Scientists found that the average growth rate of diamond is between 0.013 and 0.8 micrometers per hour, depending on temperature.
Thus, it will take from 4.5 months to 17.5 years to obtain a gemstone weighing 1 carat (0.2 grams). This means that the formation of the world’s largest diamond, Kulian, weighing 3,106.7 carats (621 grams), will take between 56 and 3 thousand years.
“The results obtained allow us to better understand the conditions under which diamond-bearing rocks are formed and the possible role of garnet in diamond crystallization processes. Our data can also be used to create modern models of natural diamond formation. In the future, we plan to conduct research aimed at determining the connection between the growth conditions and properties of diamond, “Thus, these models can be used to reconstruct the formation of diamonds in nature.” Experimental mineralogy and crystallogenesis at the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy told socialbites.ca.RAS Yuri Palyanov.
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