New mineral classification system captures Earth's complex past

Date 3rd, Jun 2019
Source Phys.org - Scientific News Websites

DESCRIPTION

The first minerals to form in the universe were nanocrystalline diamonds, which condensed from gases ejected when the first generation of stars exploded. Diamonds that crystallize under the extreme pressure and temperature conditions deep inside of Earth are more typically encountered by humanity. What opportunities for knowledge are lost when mineralogists categorize both the cosmic travelers and the denizens of deep Earth as being simply "diamond"?