How old are diamonds?

[OoohShiny]

Looks like it could be 3 billion years old, which is pretty cool

https://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research/diamond-research-gives-clues-formation-continents

...

In our study, we measured the sulphur and rhenium-osmium isotopes in sulphide inclusions in diamonds from the Zimmi region of Sierra Leone. The sulphides are tiny minerals, often between 100 and 300 microns across, trapped in the diamonds during growth.

We found that the sulphides recorded two episodes of subduction in the West African continent. Subduction is when the oceanic crust is thrust under another tectonic plate during collision into the deep earth. The first subduction event recorded by Zimmi sulphides occurred around three billion years ago and the second was around 650 million years ago.

3 billion-year-old subduction
The sulphides have isotopic compositions that indicate the sulphur was cycled through the ancient atmosphere prior to the rise of oxygen 2.5 – 2.3 billion years ago (Farquhar et al., 2001). This is indicated by mass-independently fractionated (MIF) sulphur isotopes. Any modern sulphur (or sulphur that did not cycle through the ancient atmosphere) will not have these MIF isotopes1. The presence of MIF sulphur in these sulphide inclusions indicates that they have a surficial origin in the earth’s ancient atmosphere. The sulphides were likely emplaced into the deep earth around 3 billion years ago.

650 million-year-old subduction
We also measured the rhenium-osmium isotopes in these sulphide inclusions. Rhenium-osmium is the most widely used technique to date the time of diamond formation4. Zimmi diamonds were found to have 650-million-year-old ages5, an age that overlaps with subduction and collisional mountain building in the region, between 700 and 550 million years ago. Subduction of oceanic crust and subsequent dehydration of the oceanic crust would have introduced carbon-bearing fluids into the deep earth for diamond formation.

 

[OoohShiny]

Some more articles that have relevant info!

https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/winter-2018-how-do-diamonds-form-in-the-deep-earth

https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/spring-2019-how-old-are-diamonds-are-they-forever

I like this GIA graphic - pretty cool

Figure 3. Isotopic age dating of mineral inclusions shows us that diamonds have been forming through much of Earth’s history. The oldest diamonds that have been studied were forming around a billion years before our atmosphere became oxygenated and life arose on Earth. This timeline is not a complete compilation of all diamond ages, but only shows some localities that illustrate the full range of ages. Many localities have multiple diamond formation events.

 

[WinkHPD]

When @John Pollard was here a couple of weeks ago, he said the general consensus is one to three billion years old. He also said that there are those who believe some were formed more recently, but I will leave that theory for him to share if he would like to.

Wink

 

[JPie]

@OoohShiny that timeline looks implausible. Perhaps this will clear things up:

 

[HDer]

That's hilarious, but you would know, if you were a real creationist, that all dinosaurs were created by God on the 6th day of creation, just like all other animals.

https://creation.com/dinosaur-questions-and-answers

EDIT: also it's been PROVEN* that Diamonds are only thousands, not millions, certainly not billions of years old: https://creation.com/diamonds-a-creationists-best-friend

 

[JPie]

That's hilarious, but you would know, if you were a real creationist, that all dinosaurs were created by God on the 6th day of creation, just like all other animals.

https://creation.com/dinosaur-questions-and-answers

EDIT: also it's been PROVEN* that Diamonds are only thousands, not millions, certainly not billions of years old: https://creation.com/diamonds-a-creationists-best-friend

Are you questioning my Creationist credentials?!

 

[whitewave]

GIA doesn’t take a creationism stance. Any comments on creationism are beyond irrelevant to the original post. (Unless it’s sarcasm and a joke, but still it’s not needed)

 

[JPie]

GIA doesn’t take a creationism stance. Any comments on creationism are beyond irrelevant to the original post. (Unless it’s sarcasm and a joke, but still it’s not needed)

I’d say it was more tongue in cheek than sarcastic, but if ooohshiney takes offense to my posting a joke in his thread, then I would apologize to him alone.

 

[whitewave]

I’d say it was more tongue in cheek than sarcastic, but if ooohshiney takes offense to my posting a joke in his thread, then I would apologize to him alone.

Whew. Lol. I live in a creationism city, so I assume all posts are real until stated otherwise.

 

[JPie]

Whew. Lol. I live in a creationism city, so I assume all posts are real until stated otherwise.

Sorry for the false alarm!

 

[Karl_K]

No one really knows and few really agree.
Much of the research needs to be taken with a grain of sand.

 

[yssie]

Whew. Lol. I live in a creationism city, so I assume all posts are real until stated otherwise.

Sorry for the false alarm!

This exchange made my Monday

 

[arkieb1]

Diamonds on earth are estimated to be that old, diamonds in space however I assume are older again;

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...sts-say/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.55dc2180d81b

https://sarine.com/general/diamonds-in-outer-space/

 

[Andy Tan]

@OoohShiny that timeline looks implausible. Perhaps this will clear things up:

Absolutely great pointers here! However, it has been calculated that even if this change were to take place it would take over ten billion years to happen. Now back to the diamond's age. Scientists think diamonds may have been forming throughout earth's history. Many have been found that are three-point-three billion years old.

What do you think about that guys?

Best,

Andy

 

[JPie]

Diamonds on earth are estimated to be that old, diamonds in space however I assume are older again;

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...sts-say/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.55dc2180d81b

https://sarine.com/general/diamonds-in-outer-space/

I bet if a PSer ever got ahold of a giant space diamond, she’d put a halo on it.

 

[whitewave]

This exchange made my Monday

I’m glad to help