Scientists have discovered the oldest diamond in one of the Yakutia deposits. The age of a diamond is approximately 3.6 billion years, transmits TV channel “Yakutia 24”.
The diamond has a size of 0.3 mm.
“The diamond we discovered appears to be the oldest known to date. The age of the syngenetic sulphide inclusion at this diamond is estimated to be around 3.6 billion years old.
According to our results, it was captured by growing olivine at sufficiently high temperatures – over 1400 degrees Celsius and pressures over 5.5 GPa.
This corresponds to depths of about 180 kilometers and the beginning of the entry phase of the lower limit of the lithospheric mantle of the ancient platforms in the depths of the diamond stability region,” writes the publication of the Siberian branch. of the Russian Academy of Sciences. “Science in Siberia”.
Samples of rocks and minerals of the lithospheric mantle, among which the gem was found, were taken in the Republic of Yakutia (Sakha) from the Udachnaya kimberlite pipe, which is one of the largest deposits of diamonds from Russia.
The Udachnaya pipe is a diamond deposit in northern Yakutia. It is located 20 kilometers from the Arctic Circle, in the Daldyn-Alakit kimberlite field.
“Lucky’s crystal today is apparently the oldest on Earth: at least among those that people held in their hands and studied.
We have also shown that the conditions of diamond formation at this time differed considerably from the characteristics of the later processes of formation of the bulk of the extracted crystals.
The environment and the range of temperatures and pressures changed, and therefore the depths of subsequent diamond formation in a more powerful and cooled lithosphere,” the scientists said in a statement.
