国际拍卖市场彩色钻石价格（值）影响因素统计分析及其启示

近年来彩色钻石（简称彩钻）在国际拍卖市场上的重要性越来越明显,统计、梳理和定量分析近十年来苏富比、佳士得两大国际著名拍卖公司的彩钻拍卖记录,对研究彩钻价值的影响因素及其分级、价值评估具有十分重要的意义。研究结果显示,彩钻价格主要建立在颜色稀有程度及消费者偏爱之上,对价格影响最大的是其颜色色系、色彩瑰丽程度（饱和度、亮度和次要色调）;克拉单价通常与大小呈正比;净度、拍卖时间、来源（品牌）、类型等对其成交价格也有一定的影响。合成和经优化处理的彩钻可能会影响部分彩钻的价格,但总体上,其价格和天然彩钻价格之间没有发现必然联系。另外,高档彩钻在金融危机期间的表现显示其商品属性已从一般的奢侈消费品转变为资产投资品。上述结果说明,色彩、饱和度、亮度和次要色调是影响彩钻品质最重要的因素,就此而言,我国可参考美国GIA彩钻分级体系和澳大利亚力拓集团粉红色钻石的分级体系来建立适合中国市场的彩钻分级标准。     

Review on Lithospheric Diamonds and Their Mineral Inclusions

Diamonds and their mineral inclusions are valuable for studying the genesis of diamonds, the characteristics and processes of ancient lithospheric mantle and deeper mantle. This has been paid lots of attentions by geologists both at home and abroad. Most diamonds come from lithospheric mantle. According to their formation preceded, accompanied or followed crystallization of their host diamonds, mineral inclusions in diamonds are divided into three groups: protogenetic, syngenetic and epigenetic. To determine which group the mineral inclusions belong to is very important because it is vital for understanding the data’s meaning. According to the type of mantle source rocks, mineral inclusions in diamonds are usually divided into peridotitic (or ultramafic) suite and eclogitic suite. The mineral species of each suite are described and mineralogical characteristics of most common inclusions in diamonds, such as olivine, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, garnet, chromite and sulfide are reviewed in detail. In this paper, the main research fields and findings of diamonds and their inclusions were described: ①getting knowledge of mineralogical and petrologic characteristics of diamond source areas, characteristics of mantle fluids and mantle dynamics processes by studying the major element and trace element compositions of mineral inclusions; ②discussing deep carbon cycle by studying carbon isotopic composition of diamonds; ③determining forming temperature and pressure of diamonds by using appropriate assemblages of mineral inclusions or single mineral inclusion as geothermobarometry, by using the abundance and aggregation of nitrogen impurities in diamonds and by measuring the residual stress that an inclusion remains under within a diamond ; ④estimating the crystallization ages of diamonds by using the aggregation of nitrogen impurities in diamonds and by determine the radiometric ages of syngenetic mineral inclusions in diamonds. Genetic model of craton lithospheric diamonds and their mineral inclusion were also introduced. In the end, the research progress on diamonds and their inclusions in China and the gap between domestic and international research are discussed.     

HPHT合成钻石在首饰中的鉴别特征

国家黄金钻石制品质量监督检验中心收到待检的百余件群镶钻石首饰中发现混有大量HPHT合成黄色钻石.采用宝石显微镜、红外光谱仪、X射线荧光光谱仪、紫外可见光分光光谱仪、紫外荧光灯、DiamondView^TM等对HPHT合成钻石样品做了详细地测试与分析.结果表明,这些HPHT合成钻石样品具有较为统一的黄色,放大检查可见合成钻石内部含有大量棒状、柱状、细小微粒状的铁镍合金包裹体,且几乎都有磁性,有些磁性甚至较强;样品的红外反射光谱非常特征,均具有明显的1 131 cm^-1处的吸收峰,为Ⅰb型钻石,而Ⅰb型钻石在天然钻石中极少见到;X射线荧光光谱测试显示有强烈的铁峰和镍峰,且在短波紫外线下多数具有绿黄色荧光.HPHT合成钻石在DiamondView^TM下具有不同程度的黄绿色荧光,部分具有黑十字现象.     

中国原生金刚石的碳同位素组成及其来源

中国两大主要的原生金刚石产地--山东蒙阴和辽宁复县产出有大量的高质量金刚石.通过对这些纯净金刚石碳同位索组成的激光消熔质谱分析,发现这些地区单颗粒金刚石普遍存在碳同位素组成环带,而且含固态矿物包裹体的金刚石比不含包裹体的金刚石的环带结构更为明显;同时揭示了形成这些金刚石的碳来源于地幔深部,即幔源碳,而无来自地表的由重循环作用形成的壳源碳.     

金刚石包裹体中的古地幔信息

金刚石在地幔环境生长过程中会捕获一些包裹体，这些包裹体能够被金刚石携带到地球表层，金刚石包裹体保存有其生长时古地幔环境的信息，通过对这些包裹体的研究，,可以获取古地幔环境的信息，阐述了金铡石包裹体的特征，综述了金刚石包裹体在获取古地幔物理化学环境，相环境以及地幔信息方面的取得的一些成果。     

Typomorphic characteristics of the Ural diamonds (from FTIR spectroscopy data)

Natural diamonds from the Ural alluvial deposits have been studied by FTIR spectroscopy. It is shown that these diamonds are similar in some typomorphic features, such as nitrogen content and aggregation state, to the diamonds of the Coromandel (Brazil) and Verkhnee Molodo (Lena region, Yakutia) placers and to the diamonds from kimberlites of the Arkhangel’sk Region but differ significantly in lower contents of hydrogen and higher contents of platelets. The high contents of hydrogen (5–20 cm–1) determined in some diamonds are due to the specific formation of their internal structure and to the presence of inclusions. The nonuniform distribution of nitrogen A- and B-centers throughout the crystal testifies to the zonal structure of diamonds. The temperature conditions of formation of the Ural diamonds have been estimated.     

中国3个商业性钻石产地天然钻石的Diamond ViewTM图像及其意义

对采自我国3个商业性产地山东蒙阴、辽宁瓦房店、湖南常德地区的236片/颗天然钻石样品进行了系统的DiamondViewTM(DV)荧光图像分析,结合CL照相和FTIR的定量计算,探讨了钻石样品DV图像发光结构模式和荧光颜色方面的差异性及其原因。结果表明,3个产地钻石的DV图像和CL图像显示的钻石生长结构基本一致;钻石的发光结构模式与钻石内部氮、氢元素的种类和浓度分布趋势没有明显的一致性,DV图像模式并不完全受钻石类型控制,但DV图像的色调与钻石存在的杂质元素及晶体缺陷有关。钻石的DV图像特征受钻石的生长环境、结晶条件、后期熔蚀、辐照损伤等因素综合制约。从统计学的角度看,3个产地钻石的DV发光模式和荧光颜色有一定的差异,这种差异可以作为区分不同产地来源的钻石的宏观的统计学特征。DiamondViewTM技术在揭示天然钻石生长结构方面和CL发光照相技术效果近似,但更加便利。     

澳大利亚金刚石的成因类型及产地来源特征综述

对已经发表的数十篇关于澳大利亚金刚石的英文文献进行了梳理,从其金刚石的品质、颜色类型、形态及表面特征、生长结构及微量元素、包裹体、C同位素等方面探索了澳大利亚不同区域金刚石可能存在的产地来源特征.研究显示,澳大利亚金刚石可分为岩石圈地幔成因、超深地幔成因和俯冲环境来源等成因类型;大部分澳大利亚金刚石都因经历过强烈的晶格变形或熔蚀作用而晶体圆化,但不同产地来源的金刚石在颜色组合、橄榄岩型和榴辉岩型金刚石比例、C同位素组成特征等方面存在一定差异.上述结果表明,总体上,澳大利亚不同区域金刚石具有一定的产地来源个性,但无法简单确认澳大利亚金刚石“整体”的产地来源特征;只有结合成因来源进行分析,才能够较深入地理解不同区域金刚石的特征组合及其意义,从而为理解其产地来源的特殊性提供帮助.     

博茨瓦纳奥拉帕金刚石矿床成矿地质特征

博茨瓦纳是世界上金刚石资源最为丰富的国家之一。奥拉帕金刚石矿床是该国最大的金刚石矿,矿床的金伯利岩为Ⅰ型,其中的包体可以分为2种:橄榄岩型和榴辉岩型;金刚石可以分为3类:橄榄岩型、榴辉岩型及两者的过渡类型-二辉岩型。其中,橄榄岩型和部分榴辉岩型金刚石来自于地幔结晶堆晶体,而榴辉岩型则与板块俯冲的构造-热事件有关。金伯利岩的形成时代主要为白垩纪,而金刚石则主要形成于元古宙和太古宙,金伯利岩和金刚石为不同时期的产物,金刚石为金伯利岩侵位期间捕获的上地幔物理破碎产物。其中年龄为900~1000Ma的金刚石为板块构造-热事件的产物,并对早期金刚石进行了改造破坏。     

Impact diamonds of the Popigai astrobleme: Main properties and practical use

In the 1960s, the so-called “schistose” placer diamonds were found in sandy sediments of Ukraine. Their primary source remained unknown and their origin was supposed to be cosmic, by analogy with the diamonds detected in some meteorites. In the early 1970s, similar diamonds were found in terrestrial rocks of the Popigai impact crater (astrobleme) in northern Siberia. It was shown that these diamonds are products of the transformation of graphite contained in gneisses (Masaitis et al., 1972). Later, such diamonds were found in other astroblemes in Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Finland, and Canada. Impact diamonds markedly differ from diamonds hosted in kimberlites and lamproites in their appearance and in other features. In the 1970s–1990s, diamonds from the Popigai astrobleme were studied in many research institutions of Russia, Ukraine, and outside the USSR. The results of these investigations have been mostly published, and my brief review is based on these data.     

Comparison of enigmatic diamonds from the Tolbachik arc volcano (Kamchatka) and Tibetan ophiolites: Assessing the role of contamination by synthetic materials

The enigmatic appearance of cuboctahedral diamonds in ophiolitic and arc volcanic rocks with morphology and infrared characteristics similar to synthetic diamonds that were grown from metal solvent requires a critical reappraisal. We have studied 15 diamond crystals and fragments from Tolbachik volcano lava flows, using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). FTIR spectra of Tolbachik diamonds correspond to typical type Ib patterns of synthetic diamonds. In TEM films prepared using focused ion beam technique, we find Mn-Ni and Mn-Si inclusions in Tolbachik diamonds. SRXRF spectra indicate the presence of Fe-Ni and Fe-Ni-Mn inclusions with Cr, Ti, Cu, and Zn impurities. LA-ICP-MS data show variable but significantly elevated concentrations of Mn, Fe, Ni, and Cu reaching up to 70 ppm. These transition metal concentration levels are comparable with those determined by LA-ICP-MS for similar diamonds from Tibetan ophiolites. Mn-Ni (+Fe) solvent was widely used to produce industrial synthetic diamonds in the former USSR and Russia with very similar proportions of these metals. Hence, it appears highly probable that the cuboctahedral diamonds recovered from Kamchatka arc volcanic rocks represent contamination and are likely derived from drilling tools or other hard instruments. Kinetic data on diamond dissolution in basaltic magma or in fluid phase demonstrate that diamond does not form under the pressures and temperature conditions prevalent within the magmatic system beneath the modern-day Klyuchevskoy group of arc volcanoes. We also considered reference data for inclusions in ophiolitic diamonds and compared them with the composition of solvent used in industrial diamond synthesis in China. The similar inclusion chemistry close to Ni₇₀Mn₂₅Co₅ for ophiolitic and synthetic Chinese diamonds scrutinized here suggests that most diamonds recovered from Tibetan and other ophiolites are not natural but instead have a synthetic origin. In order to mitigate further dubious reports of diamonds from unconventional tectonic settings and source rocks, we propose a set of discrimination criteria to better distinguish natural cuboctahedral diamonds from those produced synthetically in industrial environments and found as contaminants in mantle- and crust-derived rocks.     

Nature of diamonds in Yakutian eclogites: views from eclogite tomography and mineral inclusions in diamonds

We have performed dissections of two diamondiferous eclogites (UX-1 and U33/1) from the Udachnaya kimberlite, Yakutia in order to understand the nature of diamond formation and the relationship between the diamonds, their mineral inclusions, and host eclogite minerals. Diamonds were carefully recovered from each xenolith, based upon high-resolution X-ray tomography images and three-dimensional models. The nature and physical properties of minerals, in direct contact with diamonds, were investigated at the time of diamond extraction. Polished sections of the eclogites were made, containing the mould areas of the diamonds, to further investigate the chemical compositions of the host minerals and the phases that were in contact with diamonds. Major- and minor-element compositions of silicate and sulfide mineral inclusions in diamonds show variations among each other, and from those in the host eclogites. Oxygen isotope compositions of one garnet and five clinopyroxene inclusions in diamonds from another Udachnaya eclogite (U51) span the entire range recorded for eclogite xenoliths from Udachnaya. In addition, the reported compositions of almost all clinopyroxene inclusions in U51 diamonds exhibit positive Eu anomaly. This feature, together with the oxygen isotopic characteristics, is consistent with the well-established hypothesis of subduction origin for Udachnaya eclogite xenoliths. It is intuitive to expect that all eclogite xenoliths in a particular kimberlite should have common heritage, at least with respect to their included diamonds. However, the variation in the composition of multiple inclusions within diamonds, and among diamonds, from the same eclogite indicates the involvement of complex processes in diamond genesis, at least in the eclogite xenoliths from Yakutia that we have studied.     

Aspects of diamond mineralisation and distribution at the Helam Mine, South Africa

The diamonds from the Swartruggens dyke swarm are mainly tetrahexahedra, with subsidiary octahedral and cuboid crystals. They are predominantly colourless, with subordinate yellows, browns, and greens. The existence of discrete cores and oscillatory growth structures within the diamonds, together with the recognition of harzburgite, lherzolite, at least two eclogitic and a websteritic diamond paragenesis, variable nitrogen contents, and both Type IaAB and Type Ib–IaA diamonds provides evidence for episodic diamond growth in at least six different environments. The predominance of plastic deformation in the diamonds, the state of nitrogen aggregation, and the suite of inclusion minerals recovered are all consistent with a xenocrystic origin for the diamonds, with the Type Ib–IaA diamonds being much younger than the rest. Mantle storage at a time-averaged temperature of ±1100 °C is inferred for the Type IaAB diamonds. The distribution of mantle xenocrysts of garnet and chromite within the high-grade Main kimberlite dyke compared to the low-grade Changehouse kimberlite dyke strongly suggests that the difference in diamond content is due to an increased eclogitic component of diamonds in the Main kimberlite dyke.     

津巴布韦金刚石中石墨包裹体及金刚石异常双折射特征分析

津巴布韦马朗(Marange)金刚石矿以产出混合习性(八面体与近立方体)金刚石为特征,其石墨包裹体仅存在于近立方体区.石墨包裹体的形态、分布及金刚石的异常双折射与应变特征,能反映其从开始结晶到被搬运至地表过程中经历的地质作用.因此,对津巴布韦混合习性金刚石及石墨包裹体的研究不仅能提供与其他产地金刚石有对比意义的数据,且...     

金刚石分类、组成特征以及我国金刚石研究展望

金刚石由于其独特的物理化学性质,在经济生产与科学研究中均具有重要价值.金刚石形成于地球大于150 km的深度范围内,是人类可以获得的来自地球深部地幔乃至核幔边界的最直接的样品,因此可以为研究地球深部物质组成和物理化学条件提供重要的素材.金刚石由碳元素组成,还含有微量的杂质元素（如氮、硼、氢、氧等）,其中氮和硼元素对于划分金刚石的晶体结构类型发挥着重要的作用.根据金刚石的产出类型,金刚石可以划分为幔源型、超高压变质型、陨石相关型以及蛇绿岩型金刚石.全球约百分之一的幔源型金刚石含有包裹体,对这些包裹体的研究显示,金刚石主要来源于地球150~200 km深度的岩石圈地幔.这些含有包裹体的金刚石中,仅有1%的金刚石来自于地球深部的软流圈、地幔过渡带、下地幔、甚至核幔边界.我国的金刚石产出类型多样,但是,目前仅山东蒙阴、辽宁复县的金伯利岩矿床以及湖南沅水的砂矿具有经济价值.蛇绿岩型金刚石是近年来金刚石研究领域取得的重要进展,该类型金刚石分布在全球多个造山带不同时代、不同构造属性的蛇绿岩地幔橄榄岩和铬铁矿中,被认为是一种新的金刚石的产出类型.相对于其他国家和地区的金刚石的研究,我国的金刚石领域的研究程度相对较低,缺乏对金刚石结构、化学组成以及包裹体组成的系统研究,制约了对我国金刚石成因的认识,限制了我国的金刚石的找矿工作.因此,亟需结合先进的分析手段对我国的金刚石及其围岩做进一步的研究,以期揭示金刚石的形成过程,为金刚石的找矿提供理论基础.      

Diamonds in the Attawapiskat area of the Superior craton (Canada): evidence for a major diamond-forming event younger than 1.1 Ga

Here, we compare nitrogen aggregation characteristics and carbon isotopic compositions in diamonds from Mesoproterozoic (T1) and Jurassic (U2) kimberlites in the Attawapiskat area—the first diamond-producing area on the Superior craton. The T1 kimberlite sampled diamonds from the lithospheric mantle at 1.1 Ga, at the same time as the major Midcontinent Rift event. These diamonds have a narrow range in δ¹³C (mode of ?3.4 ‰), with compositions that overlap other diamond localities on the Superior craton. Some diamond destruction must have occurred during the Mesoproterozoic in response to the thermal impact of the Midcontinent Rift—the associated elevated geotherm caused a narrow diamond window (<30 km) close to the base of the lithosphere, compared to a wide diamond window of ~85 km following thermal relaxation (sampled by Jurassic kimberlites, such as U2). T1 diamonds have highly aggregated nitrogen, possibly due to the thermal effect of the rift. Diamond-favourable conditions were re-established in the lithospheric mantle after the thermal impact of the Midcontinent Rift dissipated. The poorly aggregated nature of nitrogen in U2 diamonds—compared to highly aggregated nitrogen in diamonds from T1—indicates that renewed diamond formation must have occurred only after the thermal impact of the Midcontinent Rift at 1.1 Ga had subsided and that these newly formed diamonds were subsequently sampled by Jurassic kimberlites. The overall δ¹³C distribution for U2 diamonds is distinct to T1 and other Superior diamonds, further suggesting that U2 diamonds are not related to the older pre-rift diamonds.     

Metasomatic Eclogitic Diamond Growth: Evidence from Multiple Diamond Inclusions

Diamond formation from metasomatic fluids, rather than from igneous melts, remains controversial but is paramount to our understanding of diamonds' mantle origin(s). Physical and chemical properties of diamonds, their inclusions, and host eclogites from the Mir kimberlite, Yakutia, Russia form the basis for our evaluation of diamond origin. Mir eclogitic diamonds and their multiple inclusions show a definite break in time and temperature between the formation of the core zones and the rims of the diamonds. Extreme changes in chemistry for multiple diamond inclusions (DIs) between the cores and the rims cannot be accounted for by magmatic fractional crystallization. Evidence also exists for large temperature decreases (40° to 140°C) from the cores to the rims of some diamonds. The distinct changes in nitrogen contents and aggregation states from cores to rims of diamonds would appear to reflect different residence times for these portions of the diamonds in the mantle- i.e., formation of cores and rims at vastly different times (e.g., 2 Gy). Many of the mineral-chemical characteristics, including C and N isotopes and N aggregation states of the diamond, can best be explained by crystallization of the diamonds after formation of the eclogite host. This suggests that the formation of the eclogite and the nucleation and growth of some diamonds are not coeval and possibly not cogenetic.

Most diamondiferous eclogite xenoliths probably have never experienced a major magmatic episode (i.e., complete melt stage) after subduction of their crustal protoliths into the mantle. Carbon isotopes in diamond, sulfur isotopes from sulfide DIs, and oxygen isotopes from eclogite minerals all point to crustal protoliths for many eclogites.

All of the factors above, taken as a whole, indicate that many eclogitic diamonds are the result of petrogenesis by metasomatism over a prolonged period of time. Introduction of metasomatic fluids facilitates the precipitation of the diamonds, either in tolo or as rims on previously formed diamonds. Inasmuch as some eclogites are considered to be igneous in origine.g., Group-A eclogites of Taylor and Neal (1989)-it is entirely possible that these eclogites may contain truly igneous diamonds. However, even some of these diamonds may have later metasomatic overgrowths.     

Episodic diamond genesis at Jwaneng, Botswana, and implications for Kaapvaal craton evolution

Major element and Re–Os isotope analysis of single sulfide inclusions in diamonds from the 240 Ma Jwaneng kimberlite has revealed the presence of at least two generations of eclogitic diamonds at this locality, one Proterozoic (ca. 1.5 Ga) and the other late Archean (ca. 2.9 Ga). The former generation is considered to be the same as that of eclogitic garnet and clinopyroxene inclusion bearing diamonds from Jwaneng with a Sm–Nd isochron age of 1.54 Ga. The latter is coeval with the 2.89 Ga subduction-related generation of eclogitic sulfide inclusion bearing diamonds from Kimberley formed during amalgamation of the western and eastern Kaapvaal craton near the Colesberg magnetic lineament.

The Kimberley, Jwaneng, and Premier kimberlites are key localities for characterizing the relationship between episodic diamond genesis and Kaapvaal craton evolution. Kimberley has 3.2 Ga harzburgitic diamonds associated with creation of the western Kaapvaal cratonic nucleus, and 2.9 Ga eclogitic diamonds resulting from its accretion to the eastern Kaapvaal. Jwaneng has two main eclogitic diamond generations (2.9 and 1.5 Ga) reflecting both stabilization and subsequent modification of the craton. Premier has 1.9 Ga lherzolitic diamonds that postdate Bushveld–Molopo magmatism (but whose precursors have Archean Sm–Nd model ages), as well as 1.2 Ga eclogitic diamonds. Thus, Jwaneng provides the overlap between the dominantly Archean vs. Proterozoic diamond formation evident in the Kimberley and Premier diamond suites, respectively. In addition, the 1.5 Ga Jwaneng eclogitic diamond generation is represented by both sulfide and silicate inclusions, allowing for characterization of secular trends in diamond type and composition. Results for Jwaneng and Kimberley eclogitic sulfides indicate that Ni- and Os-rich end members are more common in Archean diamonds compared to Proterozoic diamonds. Similarly, published data for Kimberley and Premier peridotitic silicates show that Ca-rich (lherzolitic) end members are more likely to be found in Proterozoic diamonds than Archean diamonds. Thus, the available diamond distribution, composition, and age data support a multistage process to create, stabilize, and modify Archean craton keels on a billion-year time scale and global basis.     

巴西砂矿金刚石产地特征及比较研究

金刚石产地来源的确定是国际性难题,其中由于砂矿金刚石可能存在搬运过程的混合,其产地来源的确定更加具有争议性。巴西金刚石绝大部分来源于砂矿,从成矿地质背景、形貌和颜色、内部结构、矿物包裹体、微量元素、C同位素组成分布等六个要素总结分析了巴西金刚石研究的相关成果,为国际砂矿来源金刚石产地辨识提供参考。研究结果显示,巴西大部分矿区金刚石的特征与世界范围其它矿区的相似,以橄榄岩型为主,难以相互区分。但其中Juina地区和Machado河产地的金刚石具有独特的氮含量（无氮的Ⅱ型为主）和聚集状态,内部结构、矿物包裹体组合及温压环境特征均显示出深部地幔来源的特点,和巴西其它产地具有一定的区分度。与世界范围不同产地砂矿来源金刚石的基本特征对比显示,不同国家具体地区砂矿金刚石在上述不同要素的组合上存在一定的差异性,但总体上要借助现有资料进行产地来源的准确判断还非常困难,需要进行更深入细致的工作。     

Formation of mosaic diamonds from the Zarnitsa kimberlite

Mosaic diamonds from the Zarnitsa kimberlite (Daldyn field, Yakutian diamondiferous province) are morphologicaly and structurally similar to dark gray mosaic diamonds of varieties V and VII found frequently in placers of the northeastern Siberian craton. However, although being similar in microstructure, the two groups of diamonds differ in formation mechanism: splitting of crystals in the case of placer diamonds (V and VII) and growth by geometric selection in the Zarnitsa kimberlite diamonds. Selective growth on originally polycrystalline substrates in the latter has produced radial micro structures with grains coarsening rimward from distinctly polycrystalline cores. Besides the formation mechanisms, diamonds of the two groups differ in origin of mineral inclusions, distribution of defects and nitrogen impurity, and carbon isotope composition. Unlike the placer diamonds of varieties V and VII, the analyzed crystals from the Zarnitsa kimberlite enclose peridotitic minerals (olivines and subcalcic Cr-bearing pyropes) and have total nitrogen contents common to natural kimberlitic diamonds (0 to 1761 ppm) and typical mantle carbon isotope compositions (-1.9 to -6.2%c 5¹³C; -4.2%c on average). The distribution of defect centers in the Zarnitsa diamond samples fits the annealing model implying that nitrogen aggregation decreases from core to rim.