Trace element partitioning in mixed-habit diamonds

Mixed-habit diamonds are a special type of crystal that form by simultaneous growth by two different mechanisms; octahedral and cuboid growth. This type of crystal growth is known to preferentially partition nitrogen into the octahedral growth sectors during growth. To identify if this fractionation occurs for any other trace element, this study applies in situ laser ablation mass spectrometry to a well-studied collection of mixed-habit diamonds. The results show high concentrations of nickel (3.6–36.4ppm) and cobalt (0.108–1.25ppm) in the cuboid sectors, whereas the octahedral sectors contain only