New collaboration: Yana Fedortchouk visits the diamond collection

We were delighted to welcome Dr. Yana Fedortchouk from Dalhousie University (Canada) to our department this past week for an exciting new research collaboration. Dr. Fedortchouk is internationally recognised for her expertise in diamond surface features, mantle processes, and experimental petrology, and her visit marks the start of a partnership that will shine new light—literally—on our diamond research.

During her time in Cape Town, Dr. Fedortchouk explored our John J. Gurney Diamond Research Collection. The collection contains specimens from across southern Africa, many with well-documented geological contexts, making it an unparalleled resource for understanding how diamonds grow, survive, and record their journey from deep in the mantle to the Earth’s surface.

The focus of our collaboration will be on linking diamond surface textures with the chemical and physical conditions of their formation and transport. By combining her expertise in microtextural analysis with our extensive sample suite and geochemical data, we aim to develop new ways to decode the histories written on diamond surfaces—whether they tell stories of growth, corrosion, or mantle storage.