The Basal Conglomerate of the Capacete Formation (Mata da Corda Group) and its Relation to Diamond Distributions in Coromandel, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

The diamond bearing district of Coromandel is located in the northwestern part of Minas Gerais, within the Alto Paranaiba Arch, famous for the discovery of most of Brazil's large diamonds above 100 ct. Detailed mapping, aimed at characterizing the Mata da Corda Group of Upper Cretaceous age of Coromandel, has been carried out. This Group was divided into the Patos Formation, composed of kimberlitic and kamafugitic rocks, and the Capacete Formation, presented by conglomerates, pyroclastic rocks, arenite and tuffs. Exposures of the latter Formation have been studied in detail at the small abandoned mine called Canastrel, as well as in the headwater of Santo Antonio do Bonito River. The results have been compared to studies of the kimberlite bodies in the nearby Douradinho River. Kimberlite indicator minerals from these localities show the same compositional trend. Moreover, in the basal conglomerate of the Garimpo Canastrel two diamonds diamonds have been recovered and described. The Garimpo Wilson, situated in the headwater of the river Santo Antonio do Bonito in paleo-alluvium, is composed of material exclusively derived from the erosion of the Capacete Formation and Precambrian (sterile) Canastra quartzites and schists. These detailed investigations suggest that the basal conglomerates of the Capacete Formation represent the main source rock of the alluvial diamond deposits in the Coromandel region.