Short Course 01
Geology of Natural Diamonds – Reviews in Mineralogy & Geochemistry
Presenters: Graham Pearson (University of Alberta), T. Stachel, F. Nestola, S. Shirey, K. Smit
Duration: Two days
Location: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
Description: This short course focuses on the mineralogy, geochemistry, and genesis of natural diamonds. Classroom lectures by pre-eminent diamond scientists (e.g., Stachel, Pearson, Shirey, Smit, Nestola, Luth, Navon, Harris, Smith, Breeding, D’Haenens-Johannson, Nimis) will cover the contents of a to-be-published Mineralogical Society of America Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry volume dedicated to the science of natural diamonds. Attendees will receive a copy of the Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry volumes (RiMG) volume in their registration package. Specific topics covered will be:
- Diamond occurrences and deposits
- Monocrystalline diamond: morphology, surface features, and inclusions
- Polycrystalline and fibrous diamond
- Non-cratonic diamond: UHP metamorphic, ophiolitic, and impact
- Crystallographic approaches to diamonds and their inclusions
- Geochemistry of mineral inclusions in lithospheric diamonds
- Mineral inclusions in sub-lithospheric diamonds: their compositions and non-destructive Raman identification
- Fluid inclusions in fibrous diamonds
- Thermobarometric methods for pressure and temperature determinations from diamond inclusions
- Geochronology of diamonds
- Spectroscopy, defect centers color, treatments
- Synthesis of diamond and identification of synthetics
- Experimental petrology applied to natural diamond growth
- Carbon and nitrogen isotope systematics of natural diamond
