Microdiamonds likely to be present at the Indo-Myanmar Border

A new study suggests that the Nagaland-Manipur area lying in the Indo-Myanmar range could be a potential source of microdiamonds, after scientists found manganilmenite- a manganese titanium mineral ore, for the first time in this area.

Manganilmenite is an indicator of diamonds. The scientists found Manganilmenite (a manganese-containing mineral ore of titanium) in three of the five samples taken for the study. This is the first time that this mineral has been found in India.  Manganilmenite of a similar composition, which is low in Magnesium Oxide, was earlier found in some diamonds from Brazil and Guaniamo, Venezuela. Although the presence of Manganilmenite is accepted to be a potential indicator of diamonds, it isn’t a guarantee.

In a recent report published in the January issue of the journal Current Science, scientists have found Manganilmenite in Pokphur area. This place is near the Nagaland-Manipur border in the Indo-Myanmar ranges of North East India.

Based on the study results, the researchers suggest that this area may be a home to diamonds. “All circumstantial evidences, namely, favorable geological situation, occurrence of low-Magnesium manganilmenite, and highly reducing environment with metallic alloys, suggest that the ophiolitic rocks of Indo-Myanmar ranges could host microdiamonds”, say authors Bibhuranjan Nayak from CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar (earlier- CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur), and Franz Michael Meyer affiliated to Institute for Mineralogy and Economic Geology, Germany and German-Mongolian Institute of Resource Technology, Mongolia.

Microdiamonds have been found in Luobusa (Tibet) and Myitkyina (Myanmar), which also fall in the Indo-Myanmar range, like Pokphur. Since the geologic conditions of formation of rocks in Pokphur are similar to those in Tibet and Myanmar, the possibility of occurrence of microdiamonds in Pokphur cannot be ruled out. This study can lead to a search for microdiamonds in this area in the coming future.

Reference: Current Science 112 (1): 155-160.

For Vigyan Prasar- Indian Science News and Features Service