Pyrope of the Tsilema uplift (Middle Timan) as an indicator of primary diamond sources
A.A. Parhachev, Yu.V. Glukhov, K.G. Parkhacheva, B.A. Makeev, M.Yu. Sokerin
UDK
| 553.81 (234.83) | https://doi.org/10.35597/2313-545X-2025-11-4-3 | Reed PDF (RUS) |
The paper presents the results of study of pyrope from the Tsilma Uplift (northern Middle Timan) in Quaternary sediments and Middle Devonian terrigenous rocks of the Tsilma River basin. Based on their inner structure, chemical composition, microinclusions, and morphology, it is concluded that they are similar to pyrope from other Middle Timan regions. According to the chemical composition, most studied pyrope grains belong to a low-Cr lherzolite type, whereas some grains derived from wehrlite and dunite-harzburgite assemblages. No pyrope is identified from the diamond phase stability zone. Most pyrope grains were transported from their source for tens or hundreds of kilometers; however, the presence of weakly weared grains indicates the possible presence of a closer source. The microtubercular surface of most pyrope grains points to their supergene dissolution that is typical of pyrope from intermediate sedimentary reservoirs, e.g., the Middle Devonian terrigenous rocks of the Tsilma Uplift promising for diamond finding. More accurate forecast of diamond potential of the area requires specific exploration works with large-scale sampling of intermediate reservoirs and Quaternary alluvial complexes.
Keywords: pyrope, garnets, chromite, diamond-bearing properties, kimberlite diamond satellites, Tsilma Uplift, Middle Timan.
Funding. This work was supported by state contract of the Institute of Geology, Federal Research Center of the Komi Science Center UB RAS (Syktyvkar, Russia) “Fundamental Problems of Mineralogy and Mineral Formation, Minerals as Indicators of Petro- and Ore Genesis, Mineralogy of Ore Regions and Deposits of the Timan-Severouralsk Region and Arctic Territories” № 122040600009-2.
Acknowledgments. We are grateful to N.Kh. Khachaturyan for extraction of pyrope from heavy concentrates, E.M. Tropnikov, A.S. Shuisky, and V.A. Radaev for electron microscopic studies, staff of the Syktyvkar sector of the Karpinsky Russian Geological Research Institute, A.A. Bushenev from the State Budgetary Institution of the Komi Republic “Center for Protected Natural Areas”, and editors of the journal for the thorough editing the manuscript.
Conflict of interest. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Authors contributions. A.A. Parkhachev, Yu.V. Glukhov, K.G. Parkhacheva, B.A. Makeev, M.Yu. Sokerin – analytical studies, writing and editing the manuscript; A.A. Parkhachev – field studies; B.A. Makeev – mathematical calculations of minimum components, plotting the combined Pavlov trigonogram.
For citation: Parkhachev A.A., Glukhov Yu.V., Parkhacheva K.G., Makeev B.A., Sokerin M.Yu. Pyrope of the Tsilema uplift (Middle Timan) as an indicator of primary diamond sources. Mineralogy, 2025, 11(4), 39–55. https://doi.org/10.35597/2313-545X-2025-11-4-3
Received 14.08.2025, revised 27.11.2025 accepted 04.12.2025
Andrey A. Parkhachev – Institute of Geology FRC Komi SC UB RAS; Karpinsky Russian Geological Research Institute (Syktyvkar sector), Syktyvkar, Russia; Andrey_Parhachev@karpinskyinstitute.ru
Yuri V. Glukhov – Institute of Geology FRC Komi SC UB RAS, Syktyvkar, Russia; Glukhov@geo.komisc.ru
Ksenia G. Parkhacheva – Institute of Geology FRC Komi SC UB RAS, Syktyvkar, Russia; ksparhacheva@yandex.ru
Boris A. Makeev – Institute of Geology FRC Komi SC UB RAS, Syktyvkar, Russia; makboris@mail.ru
Mikhail Y. Sokerin – Institute of Geology FRC Komi SC UB RAS, Syktyvkar, Russia; sokerin@geo.komisc.ru
- Apenko M.A., Matveeva G.V., Plotnikova M.I. (1960) Discovery of diamonds in Timan and its diamondiferous potential. Trudy VSEGEI “Metarialy po izucheniyu almaza i almazonosnykh rayonov SSSR” (Proceedings of VSEGEI “Materials on Study of Diamonds And Diamondiferous Regions of the USSR”). Leningrad, 40, 5–13. (in Russian)
- Afanasyev V.P., Zinchuk N.N., Pokhilenko N.P. (2001). Morphology and morphogenesis of index minerals in kimberlites. Novosibirsk, Geo, Manuscript, 276 p. (in Russian)
- Bulakh A.G. (1964) Guide and tables for calculating mineral formulas. Moscow, Nedra, 132 p. (in Russian)
- Chernov A.A. (1960) Prospects for finding the diamonds in the Komi ASSR. Geologiya i poleznye iskopaemye Severnogo Urala i Tamana (Geology and Useful Mineral Deposits of the Northern Urals and Timan). Syktyvkar, Trudy Komi filiala AN SSSR (Transactions of the Komi Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR), 10, 129–134. (in Russian)
- Glukhov Yu.V., Makeev B.A., Sokerin M.Yu. (2020) Typomorphism of deep accessory minerals of the Vym horst structure (Middle Timan). Olivine, pyropes. Vestnik geonauk (Bulletin of Geosciences), 10 (310), 3‒10. https://doi.org/10.19110/geov.2020.10.1 (in Russian)
- Glukhov Yu.V., Makeev B.A., Sokerin M.Yu. (2021) Typomorphism of chrome spinels from the Holocene psephites of the Kyvvozh gold placer field (Vol-Vym Ridge, Middle Timan). Vestnik geonauk (Bulletin of Geosciences),, 8 (320), 3‒15. https://doi.org/10.19110/geov.2021.8.1 (in Russian)
- Kharitonov T.V. (2011) Bibliography on diamond potential of the Urals. Perm, 836 p. (in Russian)
- Kharkiv A.D. (1995) Classification of primary sources and heavy concentrate halos of index minerals in kimberlites of the East European Platform. Geologiya i geofizika (Geology and Geophysics), 36(1), 46‒56. (in Russian)
- Kharkiv A.D., Zinchuk N.N., Kryuchkov A.I. (1995) Geological and genetic basis of the heavy concentrate method of prospecting for diamond deposits. Moscow, Nedra, 348 p. (in Russian)
- Khmelkov A.M. (2008) Main kimberlite minerals and their evolution during halo formation: example of the Yakut diamondiferous province. Novosibirsk, ARTA, 252 p. (in Russian)
- Makeev A.B., Dudar V.A., Lyutoev V.P., Derevyanko I.V., Glukhov Yu.V., Isaenko S.I., Filippov V.N. (1999) Diamonds of the Middle Timan. Syktyvkar, Geoprint, 80 p. (in Russian)
- Marshall T.R., Baxter-Brown R. (1995) Basic principles of alluvial diamond exploration Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 53, 277–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/0375-6742(94)00067-L
- Nowicki T.E., Moore R.O., Gurney J.J., Baumgartner M.C. (2007) Chapter 46. Diamonds and associated heavy minerals in kimberlite: a review of key concepts and applications. Developments in Sedimentology: Heavy Minerals in Use, 58, 1235–1267. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0070-4571(07)58046-5
- Pavlov N.V. (1949) Chemical composition of chrome spinels related to petrographic composition of ultramafic intrusive rocks. Trudy instituta geologicheskikh nauk. Seriya rudnykh mestorozhdeniy (Proceedings of the Institute of Geological Sciences. Ore Deposit Series), 103(13), 88 p. (in Russian)
- Parmuzin N.M., Mazurkevich K.N., Semenova L.R., Kossovaya O.L., Alekseev M.A., Vuks V.Ya., Gavrilova V.A., Gorbatsevich N.R., Evdokimova I.O., Kotlyar G.V., Petrov B.V., Stepunin A.V., Tolmacheva T.Yu., Shametko V.G., Sharpenok L.N., Yakobson K.E. (2015) State geological map of the Russian Federation. Scale 1 : 1000 000 (third generation). Mezen series. Sheet Q-39 – Naryan-Mar. Explanatory note. St. Petersburg, VSEGEI, 2015. 393 p. (in Russian)Parmuzin N.M., Yakobson K.E., Vovshina A.Yu., Voinova O.A., Semenova L.R., Mazurkevich K.N., Gorbatsevich N.R.,
- Shametko V.G., Nikonova A.S., Petrov B.V., Evdokimova I.O., Kossovaya O.L., Kotlyar G.V., Gavrilova V.A., Vuks V.Ya., Alekseev M.A (2016) State geological map of the Russian Federation. Scale 1 : 1000 000 (third generation). Mezen series. Sheet R-39 – Naryan-Mar. Explanatory note. St. Petersburg, VSEGEI, 478 p. (in Russian)
- Pachukovsky V.M. (1994) Additional geological study on a scale of 1:50000 of the Tsilema Kamen area on sheets Q-39-87-A; B-a, c; B-b, d; G; Q-39-99-B-a, b; Q-39-100-A-a, b. Syktyvkar, GBU “TFI RK”. (in Russian)
- Plyakin A.M., Dudar V.A. (2001) Timan Diamonds. Main stages and results of study. Materialy Vserossiyskogo soveshchaniya “Almazy i almazonosnost Timano-Uralskogo regiona” (Proceedings of the All-Russian Conference “Diamonds and Diamond Potential of the Timan-Ural Region”). Syktyvkar, Geoprint, 25–26. (in Russian)
- Plyakin A.M., Ershova O.V. (2012) Timan Gold. History of discovery and study. Vestnik Instituta geologii Komi NTs UrO RAN (Bulletin of the Institute of Geology Komi SC UB RAS), 12, 20–22. (in Russian)
- Plyakin A.M., Shcherbakov E.S. (2006) History of study of diamond potential of the Middle Timan. Materialy Vserossiyskogo soveshchaniya “Almazy i almazonosnost Timano-Uralskogo regiona” (Proceedings of the All-Russian Conference “Diamonds and Diamond Potential of the Timan-Ural Region”). Syktyvkar, Geoprint, 114–117. (in Russian)
- Pystin A.M., Glukhov Yu.V., Bushenev A.A. (2023) New diamond discovery and prospects for primary diamond potential of the Chetlas Uplift (Middle Timan). Zapiski Gornogo Instituta (Proceedings of Mining Institute), 264, 6, 842–855. https://doi.org/10.31857/S2686739721010187 (in Russian)
- Sablukov S.M., Sablukova L.I., Griffin V.L. (2009) Distribution of rare elements in deep kimberlite minerals as an indication of plume processes in the northern Russian Platform. Trudy IX mezhdunarodnogo seminara “Glubinny magmatizm, ego istochiki i plyumy” (Proceedings of the IX International Seminar “Deep Magmatism, Its Sources and Plumes”). Irkutsk, Institut geografii SO RAN, 1, 134‒157. (in Russian)
- Savko A.D., Shevyrev L.T., Ilyash V.V., Chashka A.I. (2007) New findings of high-pressure minerals in sedimentary cover of the Voronezh anteclise – significance for searching the primary diamond sources. Vestnik Voronezhskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya: Geologiya (Bulletin of the Voronezh State University. Series: Geology), 1, 43‒74. (in Russian)
- Silaev V.I., Chaikovsky I.I., Rakin V.I., Teterin I.P. (2008) Signaturess of the fragment-forming facies of diamonds in the Urals deposits. Litosfera (Lithosphere), 6, 54–62. (in Russian)
- Sobolev N.V. (1974) Deep inclusions in kimberlites and the problem of the upper mantle composition. Novosibirsk, Nauka, 263 p. (in Russian)
- Shilov L.P., Plyakin A.M., Alekseev V.I. (2010). Timan Ridge. History, geography, life: Monograph. Vol. 1. Ukhta, USTU, 339 p. (in Russian)
- Shilov L.P., Plyakin A.M., Alekseev V.I. (2009) Timan Ridge. Lithology and stratigraphy, geophysical characteristics of the crust, tectonics, and mineral resources. Vol. 2. Ukhta, UGTU, 437 p. (in Russian)
MINERALOGY 4 2025
