The Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Characteristics of Type Ib-IaA Cuboid Diamonds from Alluvial Placers in the Northeastern Siberian Platform

Cuboid diamonds are particularly common in the placers of the northeastern Siberian platform, but their origin remains unclear. These crystals usually range in color from dark yellow to orange and, more interestingly, are characterized by unusual low aggregated nitrogen impurities (non-aggregated C-center), suggesting a short residence time and/or low temperatures at which they have been stored in the mantle. In order to track possible isotopic signature that could help deciphering cuboid diamond’s crystallization processes, δ13C values, δ15N values, and nitrogen concentrations have been determined in situ in three samples using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), whereas nitrogen aggregation states have been determined by FTIR spectroscopy. The samples fall out of the δ13C vs. δ15N field of canonical mantle composition. Different scales of carbon and nitrogen fractionation may produce the observed variations. Alternatively, mixing mantle and crustal material would obscure initial co-variations of δ13C values with δ15N or nitrogen content.