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Ellendale diamond field

A cluster of Miocene lamproite volcanoes in the West Kimberley whose 1976 discovery proved that lamproite, not only kimberlite, can carry diamonds; it led to Argyle. Mined 2002-2015, it was the world's largest single source of fancy yellow diamonds.

Dated events and their evidence

• about 22,000,000 years ago mainstream
  the Ellendale lamproite pipes intrude between about 22 and 19 million years ago, in the Miocene source
• 1976 CE mainstream
  in November the Ashton Joint Venture discovers the Ellendale diamond field, the first proof that lamproites can be an economic source of diamonds source
• 2002 CE mainstream
  in May mining begins at the Ellendale 9 pipe source
• 2015 CE mainstream
  in July hard-rock mining at Ellendale stops, after a 2013 blast damaged the E9 pit's access ramp source

Where

17.6500° S, 124.8830° E

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellendale_Diamond_Field
• https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-012-0430-7
• https://doi.org/10.1071/eg994171
• https://ozgeology.com/blogs/news/the-australian-yellow-diamond-discovery-that-changed-geology

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