Australian Researchers Unveil How Rare Pink Diamonds Formed During Ancient Supercontinent's Breakup

Australian researchers made an intriguing announcement, claiming to have unveiled the elusive secret behind pink diamonds, renowned for their rarity and exquisite allure. This revelation could pave the way for discovering more of these highly sought-after gems.

Shedding Light on the Origin of Pink Diamonds

It has been known that over 90 percent of all pink diamonds originated from the Argyle mine situated in the remote north-western region of Australia. However, the distinctive feature of Argyle is its location on the periphery of a continent.

This is a fact that has puzzled experts regarding its prolific production of pink gemstones for years. A recent study conducted by a team of researchers in Australia has shed light on the origin of pink diamonds. It was published in the journal Nature Communications.

The study's findings revealed that these gems were transported to the Earth's surface during the breakup of the ancient supercontinent approximately 1.3 billion years ago.

The study's lead author from Curtin University, Hugo Olierook, explained that while two of the three essential components for pink diamond formation were already understood, their research has brought valuable insights into this fascinating geological phenomenon.

Revealing Essential Components

The Guardian reported that the essential components for creating pink diamonds have been unraveled, comprising a trio of critical elements.

First, there is the requirement for carbon, which must reside in the Earth's deep layers at depths exceeding 150 kilometers to avoid transforming into graphite.

The second crucial factor is the precise level of pressure, a delicate balance that imparts the sought-after pink hue to the otherwise clear diamonds.

Olierook explained that a slight increase in pressure results in this transformation, while excessive pressure turns the diamonds brown, rendering them less valuable. This phenomenon is particularly relevant to most diamonds in the Argyle mine, characterized by their less coveted brown tint.

In the 1980s, experts estimated the age of Argyle diamonds to be around 1.2 billion years old. However, the New York Times reported that a significant question remained unanswered: What triggered these exceptional diamonds to surface during that era?

To unravel this mystery, the researchers embarked on a quest to establish a more precise timeline. Their approach involved using an extraordinarily fine laser to examine minuscule crystals within a rock sample sourced from the Argyle mine, provided by mining behemoth Rio Tinto.

By scrutinizing the age of elements contained within these crystals, the researchers made a groundbreaking revelation: Argyle was, in fact, 1.3 billion years old. This revelation indicated that the diamonds emerged a striking 100 million years later than previously believed.

These diamonds got their colors from intense collisions between western and northern Australia 1.8 billion years ago. Then, when the ancient supercontinent Nuna broke apart 500 million years later, it reactivated this geological scar.

Magma shot up like a champagne cork, carrying the diamonds at near-supersonic speeds, an event never seen in human history. While diamond hunters usually looked in large continent interiors, knowing this "missing ingredient" for pink diamonds could change future exploration, even if it's not an easy or quick task.