Growth Story of One Diamond: A Window to the Lithospheric Mantle

A diamond plate cut out of a transparent, colorless octahedral crystal gem quality, with small chromite inclusion in the core, sampled from XXIII CPSU Congress kimberlite (Yakutia, Mirny field, vicinities city), has been studied by several combined methods: absorption spectroscopy at different wavelengths (UV-visible, near- and mid-IR); photoluminescence, cathodoluminescence, Raman (local version) lattice strain mapping; birefringence cross-polarized light; etching. The demonstrates complex growth history consisting four stages: nucleation to an octahedron → habit change cuboid octahedron-1 octahedron-2. records changes crystallization conditions each stage. revealed heterogeneity structure is associated distribution speciation nitrogen defects. results this study have implications for information value techniques as defects, well yet poorly known evolution subcontinental lithospheric mantle Siberian craton, recorded multistage crystal. At time writing, reconstructing stage difficult. Meanwhile, finding ways such reconstruction indispensable better understanding genesis, details lithosphere history.