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Most gem diamonds form in the lithospheric mantle and erupt in kimberlites.

The Claim

Natural diamonds crystallize from carbon at depths of about 150 to 200 kilometers in Earth's mantle under temperatures of about 900 to 1,300 degrees Celsius and pressures of 45 to 60 kilobars, then reach Earth's surface through deep volcanic eruptions after remaining underground for hundreds of millions of years.

The Short Version

The description accurately captures the usual formation and transport history of lithospheric gem diamonds. Its depth, temperature, and pressure ranges are representative, and kimberlitic volcanism commonly carries diamonds rapidly to the surface after long mantle residence. However, these conditions and timescales do not apply to every natural diamond, particularly superdeep and some relatively young fibrous diamonds.

Caveats

  • The numerical ranges describe typical lithospheric diamonds, not all natural diamonds.
  • Some superdeep diamonds form far below 200 kilometers.
  • Some fibrous diamonds formed shortly before eruption rather than hundreds of millions of years earlier.

The Receipts

  1. Diamond Formation via Carbonate or CO2 Reduction under Pressures and Temperatures of the Lithospheric Mantle: Review of Experimental Data

    mdpi.com

  2. Diamond formation — Where, when and how?

    sciencedirect.com

  3. Diamond Formation via Carbonate or CO2 Reduction under Pressures and Temperatures of the Lithospheric Mantle: Review of Experimental Data

    doi.org

  4. Rift-induced disruption of cratonic keels drives kimberlite volcanism | Nature

    nature.com

  5. The origin of cratonic diamonds — Constraints from mineral inclusions

    sciencedirect.com

  6. Formation of diamond in the Earth's mantle - IOPscience

    iopscience.iop.org

  7. Diamonds from the Deep: How Do Diamonds Form in the Deep Earth?

    gia.edu

  8. Kimberlite Volcanism

    annualreviews.org

  9. Reduced methane-bearing fluids as a source for diamond | Scientific Reports

    preview-www.nature.com

  10. Diamonds Help Solve the Enigma of Earth's Deep Water

    gia.edu

+ 17 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

EarthEarth's MantleNatural Diamond

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