Diamonds: Precious Time Capsules from the Deep Earth

Explore the fascinating world of diamonds in this Europlanet webinar featuring Dr Janne Koornneef. Delve into the current knowledge of diamond formation and the mysteries geologists still aim to unravel about these iconic gemstones. Learn about various types of diamonds, including extraterrestrial, impact-formed, crustal, and lithospheric diamonds. Discover the rarity of diamonds at Earth's surface, their crystallization process from fluids, and the complex growth patterns of gem-quality diamonds. Examine the significance of mineral inclusions in diamonds and understand isotope dating techniques, particularly Samarium-Neodymium dating. Gain insights into groundbreaking research conducted at the VU Amsterdam isotope laboratory, revealing diamond growth in two distinct events under vastly different conditions. Uncover the connection between diamond formation and large-scale magmatism, including the role of hot mantle plumes. Explore the astonishing age differences found in diamonds, with some specimens differing by up to 2 billion years.