Nature 310, 198 - 202 (19 July 1984); doi:10.1038/310198a0

Origin of diamonds in old enriched mantle

S. H. Richardson^*, J. J. Gurney^†, A. J. Erlank^† & J. W. Harris^‡

^*Center for Geoalchemy, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
^†Department of Geochemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa
^‡Department of Applied Geology, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ, UK
^*Present address: Institut de Physique du Globe, Université de Paris VI, 4 Place Jussieu, 75230 Paris Cedex 05, France.

Sub-calcic garnets encapsulated by diamonds from relatively young (90 Myr) kimberlites in southern Africa, yield ancient Sm−Nd and Rb−Sr model ages (3,200−3,300 Myr). The chemistry and distribution of these and associated sub-calcic garnets from kimberlite concentrate, indicate diamonds formed following enrichment of residual sub-cratonic mantle such as that remaining after widespread extraction of 3,500-Myr komatiitic lavas.

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