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Date submitted2021-06-10
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Date accepted2021-07-27
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Date published2021-10-21
Defects of diamond crystal structure as an indicator of crystallogenesis
- Authors:
- Evgeny A. Vasilev
Based on the study of a representative collections of diamonds from diamondiferous formations of the Urals and deposits of the Arkhangelsk and Yakutian diamond provinces, we established patterns of zonal and sectoral distribution of crystal structure defects in crystals of different morphological types, identified the specifics of crystals formed at different stages of crystallogenesis and performed a comprehensive analysis of constitutional and population diversity of diamonds in different formations. We identified three stages in the crystallogenesis cycle, which correspond to normal and tangential mechanisms of growth and the stage of changing crystal habit shape. At the stage of changing crystal habit shape, insufficient carbon supersaturation obstructs normal growth mechanism, and the facets develop from existing surfaces. Due to the absent stage of growth layer nucleation, formation of new {111} surfaces occurs much faster compared to tangential growth mechanism. This effect allows to explain the absence of cuboids with highly transformed nitrogen defects at the A-B 1 stage: they have all been refaceted by a regenerative mechanism. Based on the revealed patterns, a model of diamond crystallogenesis was developed, which takes into account the regularities of growth evolution, thermal history and morphological diversity of the crystals. The model implies the possibility of a multiply repetitive crystallization cycle and the existence of an intermediate chamber; it allows to explain the sequence of changes in morphology and defect-impurity composition of crystals, as well as a combination of constitutional and population diversity of diamonds from different geological formations.
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Date submitted2017-11-16
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Date accepted2018-01-16
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Date published2018-04-24
Volume and surface distribution of radiation defect in natural diamonds
- Authors:
- E. A. Vasilev
- A. V. Kozlov
- V. A. Petrovskii
In the following article, we have studied the variations of natural irradiation of diamond crystals. The natural diamonds in some cases show homogeneous green colour, caused by irradiation of the entire crystals volume. Radiation damage effects, produced by the low-radiation doses, are detected by the luminescence of the GR1 system. The high-radiation doses cause bluish hue, turning into a greenish colour, while the maximum level of volume irradiation produces the black crystals. The crystals with homogeneous volumetric black colour distribution were also studied. The major source of radiation in such cases may represent a local stream containing water rich in 222 Rn and its decay products. There is a review of the geological environment in which diamonds could be irradiated due to the decay of the 222 Rn containing in water.