Diamond Formation in UHP Dolomite Marbles and Garnet-Pyroxene Rocks of the Kokchetav Massif, Northern Kazakhstan: Natural and Experimental Evidence

Based upon detailed studies of diamondiferous metamorphic rocks, many authors share the opinion that diamonds crystallize in the field of their thermodynamic stability. Nevertheless, some problems remain, and the most important questions are as follows: (1) What is the pressure under which diamond crystallized? (2) Does the composition of diamondiferous rocks correspond to the medium of diamond crystallization? (3) Why are microdiamonds irregularly distributed in dolomite marbles and garnet-pyroxene rocks? (4) What is the role of carbonates in diamond genesis? To answer these questions, we carried out petrographic and mineralogical studies and experimentally modeled the process of microdiamond crystallization in diamondiferous garnet-pyroxene rocks and dolomite marbles. Diamondiferous marbles and garnet-pyroxene rocks occur as layers and lenses in biotite gneisses of the Kumdy-Kol microdiamond deposit, northern Kazakhstan. Mineralogical and petrographical data demonstrate that pyroxene of diamondiferous rocks differs in composition from pyroxene of nondiamondiferous rocks. The pyroxene in diamondiferous garnet-pyroxene rocks and dolomite marbles is characterized by the presence of potassium and by occurrences of lamellae of K-feldspar and phengite as well as quartz needles. No potassium is found in the pyroxene from associated nondiamondiferous rocks. Starting materials in experiments were diamondiferous marble and garnet-pyroxene rock. Experiments were carried out at P = 5.7 GPa and T = 1420° C, and at P = 7.0 GPa and 1700° C using a multi-anvil apparatus with a 300 mm outer diameter of the multi-anvil sphere. The following conclusions can be inferred from the data obtained. Unlike pyroxene in the starting specimens, the newly formed pyroxene is K-depleted, which indicates that the rocks used in the experiments differ in composition from the natural medium of diamond crystallization. The garnets synthesized in experiments with dolomite marble contain up to 4% majorite component, whereas the garnet from the initial rock contains no majorite. These data clearly show that the pressure under which dolomite marbles formed did not exceed 50 kbar. The experimental diamonds are all octahedra, whereas the diamonds in the starting samples were cubes. We believe that the main factor governing the morphology of diamond crystals is the composition of the medium of crystallization. The obtained data suggest that in dolomite marbles and garnet-pyroxene rocks, diamond crystallized from a carbonatite melt in equilibrium with a K-rich fluid.