By MNA

• “ A serpetinised & carbonated mica-

peridotite of porphyritic texture
containing nodules of ultrabasic
rocks type, characterized by high
pressure minerals like pyrope, jadite
& diopside, may or may not
containing Diamond”
• Diamond is the high-pressure polymorph
of elemental carbon,
• stable relative to graphite at pressures of
greater than about 4.0 GPa (40 kbar) in the
Earth, and
• at depths of greater than about 150 km
• Its extreme hardness and extreme
resistance to chemical breakdown is a
result of its three-dimensional network of
covalent
C–C bonds.
• Kimberlitic rocks are
characterised by
inequigranular textures with
macrocrysts (0.5–10 mm),
• megacrysts and xenolith clasts
in a fine-grained igneous
matrix.
• On the basis of concentration of xenoliths,
there are 3 types of Kimberlites
• Massive Kimberlite: A massive porphyritic
rock containing few fragments of country rocks,
eg. Kimberlite of the Kimberly dstt. S Africa.
• Intrusive Kimberlite Braccia: This type of
Kimberlite containing 20-60% fragments of
country rocks
• Kimberlite Tuff: This Kimberlite consists of
60-90% fragments of the country rocks
cemented by hydrothermal minerals.
• They are intrude to Highly stable Craton of Pre-
Cambrian age.
• They occurs at the margins of the Craton or at the
transitional zone between the large tectonic dome
(shield) & basin within a large Craton.
• Kimberlites are thought to be intruded during a strong
uplift of continents.
• areas of ancient stable continental crust that has not
been incorporated into or reworked in orogenic belts
for at least 1600 million years
• They occur as diatremes, dykes and small
pipe shaped intrusive bodies and rarely in
extrusive bodies (tuffs etc.).
• The age of Kimberlites is Proterozoic to Tertiary.
• Most Kimberlites are of Cretaceous age.
• As Pre-Cambrian Cratons are restricted in space so
they present in those areas of the world where Cratons
are exposed eg S Africa, Bostwana, USSR, Australia &
also reported from Canada & USA.
• It is a serpetinised and carbonated mica-
peridotite of porphyritic texture, containing
rounded / corroded phenocrysts of olivine.
Phlogopite, magnesian ilmenite, pyrope, Cr-
rich Pyrope and Diamond.
• They occur in the form of volcanic pipes, sills
and dykes.
• At the surface of Kimberlite pipe, there is a
crater with the depth of upto 300m.
• Walls of the pipe become steepened to an
angle of 80 degree while going down.
• Surface area of the pipe varies from 0.4-146
Hectares (0.004 -1.46 square Km)
• Grade taken in both Quality and Quantity of
Diamond present in Kimberlite.
• 1 out of 100 Kimberlite is economical ( b/c of
stability range of diamond, 450-600 Km )
• A low grade Kimberlite (0.6 carat/ton) can be
more valuable than a high grade one
}
(5carat/ton) { Gem Variety
• 1 carat = 200 mg
• There are two opinions about the origin of
diamond in Kimberlites.
• Xenocrystic origin: Says that diamond is derived
by diamondiferous eclogite & peridotite from
mantle.
• Evidence: Some Cretaceous Kimberlite containing
the diamond of Pre-Cambrian age.
• Different types of diamond with different suites
of mineral inclusions and crystal form occur in
one pipe.
• Diamonds are differentiated into P-type
(peridotite) and E-type (eclogite) and different
pipes have different proportions of E-type and P-
type diamonds.
• Phenocrystic Origin: This concept says that
diamond has been formed by the
precipitation of Kimberlitic magma.
• Evidence: Presence of delicate growth
structures and liquid inclusions of
composition similar to kimberlitic magma.
• Conclusion : Diamond is of both of the
origins
• Kimberlitic rocks form from alkaline, volatile-
rich, potassic ultramafic magmas that are
formed as small-degree partial melts of
carbonate-bearing and hydrous-mineral-
bearing mantle peridotite.
•
• Kimberlite represent the magma of ultrabasic
origin containing xenoliths of eclogite, which
comes through fractures OR weak zones.
• If CO2 and H2O are more in the Kimberlitic
magma, explosive eruption will take place
which will produce fractures in country rocks.
These fractures are later on filled by
Kimberlitic magma forming dykes & sills.
• Geological Guides:
• Craton of the age of 2000-2500 Ma ( Pre-
Cambrian).
• Intersection of the area by a Regional fault.
• Presence of the Kimberlitic rocks is good key for
target selection,
• Mineralogical Guides:
• Kimberlites are characterized by Mg-Ilmenite,
Chrome diopside. Chromite, Enstatite, Olivine,
Cr-spinal and Zr may also be significant. These
are called Kimberlite Indicator Minerals.
• During the weathering of Kimberlite, these
minerals concentrated in residual soil and may
become dispersed in drainage system.
• This technique of Indicator minerals was used in
the exploration of Kimberlite in Kimberly Dstt. S
Africa,
• Geophysical Guides:
• Gravitymetery ( show high value at the point)
• Scintillometery ( Radioactive due to phlogopite, K-
mica )
• Magnetometery ( high value of ferromagnesian &
ilmenite present)