Evidence of the anthropogenic origin of the "Carmel sapphire" with enigmatic super-reduced minerals

Abstract Corundum with inclusions of enigmatic super-reduced minerals was found in mineral separates received as a result alluvial sediment exploration near Mt Carmel, Israel by the Shefa Yamim Company. This corundum, registered ‘Carmel sapphire TM ’, has been an object numerous publications W. Griffin's scientific team, which they propose questionable hypothesis formation at crust–mantle boundary participation CH 4 +H 2 fluids. Typically Carmel is small fragments breccia white cement, opinion Griffin et al. carbonate-cemented volcanic ash. Our investigation ‘white breccia’ showed that it consists unsorted angular from ~1 μm to 7 mm size cemented aluminium hydroxides (bauxite) and waste product fused alumina process, i.e. anthropogenic origin. Phases typical for slags production metallurgical were identified breccia’. microscopic spherical Si–Fe alloy indicating removal Si Fe corundum melt occurred temperature >2000°С. Osbornite, TiN, chemical zonation characteristic osbornite enrichment central zones carbon. Comparison growth heterogeneity ‘electrocorundum’ indicates crystallisation proceeded similar way. Unfortunately, case locality, contamination geological samples material led popularisation biased views.