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Occurrence, nature and origin of diamonds in SE Asia

(Collaborative study with Bill Griffin, GEMOC)


Occurrence of diamonds in SE Asia showing relationship to Lower Permian glacial-marine diamictites and the continental terranes of the region

The occurrence of "headless" diamond placers in SE Asia has been long known but the origin of these diamonds is still unanswered. There are so far no known primary sources for the diamonds and associated heavy minerals throw little light on the subject. Recent work on the nature of SE Asian diamonds has been undertaken at the ARC National Key Centre for Geochemical Evolution and Metallogeny (GEMOC) in an attempt to shed light on the possible origins of the diamonds. I have suggested in the past that a possible source for the Burmese, Thai and Sumatran diamonds could be the Lower Permian glacial-marine diamictites and that the ultimate primary source for the diamonds was the western Australian part of Gondwanaland and that the diamonds were carried into Asia on the Sibumasu terrane that rifted from Gondwanaland in the Late Early Permian.

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