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Diamonds from Jagersfontein (South Africa): messengers from the sublithospheric mantle

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Abstract

The diamond population from the Jagersfontein kimberlite is characterized by a high abundance of eclogitic, besides peridotitic and a small group of websteritic diamonds. The majority of inclusions indicate that the diamonds are formed in the subcratonic lithospheric mantle. Inclusions of the eclogitic paragenesis, which generally have a wide compositional range, include two groups of eclogitic garnets (high and low Ca) which are also distinct in their rare earth element composition. Within the eclogitic and websteritic suite, diamonds with inclusions of majoritic garnets were found, which provide evidence for their formation within the asthenosphere and transition zone. Unlike the lithospheric garnets all majoritic garnet inclusions show negative Eu-anomalies. A narrow range of isotopically light carbon compositions (δ13C −17 to −24 ‰) of the host diamonds suggests that diamond formation in the sublithospheric mantle is principally different to that in the lithosphere. Direct conversion from graphite in a subducting slab appears to be the main mechanism responsible for diamond formation in this part of the Earth’s mantle beneath the Kaapvaal Craton. The peridotitic inclusion suite at Jagersfontein is similar to other diamond deposits on the Kaapvaal Craton and characterized by harzburgitic to low-Ca harzburgitic compositions.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Rainer Altherr for his support of the ion probe work. Tom Chacko, Larry Heaman, Bob Luth and Dan Schulze provided detailed comments on the manuscript. Ben Harte and Pierre Cartigny are thanked for their valuable criticism. Financial support to carry out this study was provided by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and NSERC. Support by DeBeers Consolidated Mines Ltd. is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, 1-26 Earth Science Building, T6G 2E3, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Ralf Tappert, Thomas Stachel & Karlis Muehlenbachs

  2. Division of Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, The Gregory Building, Lilybank Gardens, G12 8QQ, Glasgow, UK

    Jeff W. Harris

  3. Institut für Mineralogie, Ruprecht Karls Universität, Im Neuenheimer Feld 236, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Thomas Ludwig

  4. Institut für Mineralogie, J.W. Goethe Universität, Senckenberganlage 28, 60054, Frankfurt, Germany

    Gerhard P. Brey

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  1. Ralf Tappert
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  2. Thomas Stachel
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Correspondence to Ralf Tappert.

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Communicated by J. Hoefs

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Tappert, R., Stachel, T., Harris, J.W. et al. Diamonds from Jagersfontein (South Africa): messengers from the sublithospheric mantle. Contrib Mineral Petrol 150, 505–522 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-005-0035-6

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