The research activities mainly focus on natural diamonds and their inclusions. Diamonds are real windows open on the deep Earth and often bring to our hands mineral and fluid phases from depths between about 150 and 1000 km. The study of their inclusion not only provide the depth of their formation but also the geological environments that we could find deep in the mantle.

We investigate the inclusions in diamonds by X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy by non-destructive approaches but we also investigate the diamonds by mass-spectroscopy to analyse volatile elements like carbon, nitrogen (and hydrogen recently) isotopic signatures and infrared spectroscopy to determine their residence temperature in the mantle thanks to the cutting-edge laboratories of the Department. Knowing the age of diamonds and their inclusions, as well as their composition, their isotopic signature, their depth and temperature of formation provide a picture of the Earth’s evolution over time.

Professors coordinating and developing projects related to this research pathway: Fabrizio Nestola, Bernardo Cesare, Paolo Nimis, Manuele Faccenda, Davide Novella, Martha Giovanna Pamato