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A few thoughts on the diamondiferous nature of lamprophyres from Wajrakarur Kimberlite Field, Southern India Cover

A few thoughts on the diamondiferous nature of lamprophyres from Wajrakarur Kimberlite Field, Southern India

Mineralogia
Volume 57 (2026): Issue 1 (January 2026)
By: P. Ramesh Chandra Phani and  Ioannis Kamvisis  
Open Access
|Jan 2026
Figures & tables

Figures & Tables

Figure 1.

Location of lamprophyres within the simplified geological map of WKF (modified after Nayak & Kudari, 1999) and disposition of various rare alkaline rocks. Lamprophyre outcrop abbreviations: KKL, Korrakodu (Raghuvanshi et al., 2019); SPL, Sivarampet (Khan et al., 2019; Phani et al., 2018); KGL, Kalagalla (Phani et al., 2020); MDL, Mudigubba (Pandey et al., 2017a); UKL, Udiripikonda (Pandey et al., 2017b); KUL, Khaderpet (Smith et al., 2013); P8, pipe 8 of Lattavaram (Phani, 2019). Alkali syenites (Suresh et al., 2010): Cc, Chintalacheruvu; Dn, Dancherla; Dp, Danduvaripalli; Vd, Vannedoddi; Pd, Pedavaduguru; Rp, Reddypalli; Yp, Yeguvapalli. Syenite- Gs- Golla (Phani et al., 2021); WKF, Wajrakarur Kimberlite Field.

Figure 2.

Field photographs of lamprophyres of WKF. (a) Korrakodu (Raghuvanshi et al., 2019), (b) Kadiri (Pandey et al., 2018), (c) Sivarampet, (d) Kalagalla, (e) Udiripikonda (Pandey et al., 2017a, 2017b), (f) Khaderpet, (g) Mudigubba, (h) Pipe-8 (Lattavaram). See text for photo sources. WKF, Wajrakarur Kimberlite Field.

Figure 3.

Geochemical diagrams plotted using cationic wt.% (Ilupin & Lutz, 1971; Ilupin et al., 1974). (a) K vs Al diagram, (b) Ti vs K variation diagram, (c) Ti vs Al diagram, (d) K vs Fe diagram. Data used for comparison: Wajrakarur diamondiferous kimberlites (Phani & Raju, 2017), Narayanpet barren kimberlites (Dongre and Chalapathi Rao, 2012), Wawa diamondiferous lamprophyre (Lefebvre et al., 2005).

Figure 4.

Geochemical diagrams showing diamondiferous character of WKF lamprophyres. (a) Ta vs Sc variation diagram (Kaminsky et al., 2005) showing lamprophyres in comparison with other rock types. (b) Fe2O3 (wt.%) vs Y (ppm) diagram showing distinction between diamondiferous (prospective) and barren (non-prospective) kimberlites (Birkett et al., 2004). (c) Bivariant diagram between DG and TiO2 (wt.%) for lamprophyre samples of WKF showing inverse relation. Data for WKF kimberlites from Phani (2019). DG, diamond grade; WKF, Wajrakarur Kimberlite Field.

Geochemical data of lamprophyres of WKF in comparison with Jharia lamprophyre_

2a. Representative major oxide compositions.
KKLKDLSPLKGLUKLKULMGLP8Jharia
SiO246.7453.7147.3242.845.147.452.7241.9544.5
TiO21.80.92.372.182.382.660.761.34.81
Al2O317.6412.2413.949.0214.197.519.145.188.38
Fe2O38.5210.329.891611.27 8.477.050.1
MnO0.1430.170.130.180.170.230.180.10.13
MgO3.128.3587.57.4313.8011.1519.338.18
CaO6.628.68.538.358.8111.40128.636.85
Na2O3.322.493.11.12.11.432.210.350.33
K2O6.631.313.093.734.730.831.130.575.52
P2O50.950.280.480.430.670.280.370.31.6
LoI3.421.522.78.542.3710.91.5814.510.88
Total98.999.999.5899.8399.2296.4599.7199.4698.9
Mg#6360.258.2477.462.3971.576.884.562

TiO2 and DG values of lamprophyres of WKF in comparison with kimberlites_

LocationDGTiO2
Karraokodu1.851.80
Karraokodu1.71.805
Karraokodu1.861.81
Karraokodu1.951.71
Kadiri5.160.9
Kadiri5.820.75
Kadiri5.660.59
Kadiri5.010.79
Sivarampet2.431.62
Sivarampet2.261.7
Sivarampet2.871.5
Sivarampet2.471.79
Kalagalla4.251.18
Kalagalla3.631.2
Kalagalla4.061.2
Kalagalla3.431.4
Udiripikonda1.362.38
Udiripikonda1.432.28
Udiripikonda1.372.45
Udiripikonda0.752.41
Khaderpet7.350.66
Khaderpet7.390.55
Khaderpet6.30.68
Khaderpet5.90.53
Mudigubba7.080.76
Mudigubba7.100.66
Mudigubba7.650.66
Mudigubba7.460.69
Pipe 83.741.3
Pipe 83.691.36
Pipe 83.931.35
Pipe 83.940.133
Jharia0.775.97
Jharia1.523.28
Jharia0.884.91
Jharia0.745.79
WKF Kimberlitesa
Pipe-37.541.58
Pipe-47.371.56
Pipe-52.735.36
Pipe-710.680.79
Pipe-99.80.71
Pipe-106.622.2
Pipe-117.481.27
Pipe-131.826.62
Pipe-16b1.74.5

Summary of certain DIMs in lamprophyres in comparison with kimberlites and lamproites of WKF_

LocalityCHRCrDiILMGRTOLVSPNTTNDIA
Lamprophyresa
Korrakodu (KKL)
Kadiri (KDL)
Sivarampet (SPL) XX X
Kalagalla (KGL) X
Udiripikonda (UKL) X XX
Khaderpet (KUL)XXXXXX X
Mudigubba (MGL) X
Lattavaram (P-8) XXXXX X
Kimberlites and lamproitesc
Muligiripalli (P-5)XXXXXXXX
Tummatapalli (P-13)XXXXXXX
Pennahobilam (P-16)XXXXXXX
Pennahobilam (P-17)eXXXXXXX
Lattavaram (P-4)XXXXXXXX
Venkatampalli (P-7)XXXXXXXX
Timmasamudram (TK-4)bXXXXXXXX
Chigicherla (CC-5)XXXXXXXX
Brahmanapalli (B1)dXXXXXXXX

Some salient features of lamprophyres of WKF and data sources used in this study_

LocationOutcropMineral assemblageRock typeReference
Korrakodu (KKL)DikeDark mica (60%–70%) within groundmass of feldspars, sphene, apatite, carbonates, and zirconKersantiteRaghuvanshi et al. (2019)
Kadiri (KDL)DikeAmphibole (magnesio-hornblende), biotite and feldspar phenocrysts in groundmass of epidote, titanite and apatiteSpessartitePandey et al. (2018)
Sivarampet (SPL)DikePyroxenes, olivine and feldspar in groundmass of mica, ilmenite and secondary amphibole carbonate and chloriteKersantitePhani et al. (2018), Khan et al. (2019), Pankaj et al. (2020)
Kalagalla (KGL)DikePhlogopite-biotite, feldspar, amphiboles in fine grained felspathic pyroxene groundmassSpessartitePhani et al. (2020)
Udiripikonda (UKL)DikeClinopyroxene megacrysts in olivine, mica in feldspathic groundmassKersantitePandey et al. (2017a, 2017b)
Khaderpet (KUL)PlugOlivine pseudomorphs altered to calcite or saponite, fine titanite in a saponite-carbonate or serpentine matrix. rare magnesiochromite with titanite rimsUltramafic lamprophyreSmith et al. (2013)
Mudigubba (MGL)DikeAmphibole, clinopyroxene, sphene, feldspar (albitised)SpessartitePandey et al. (2017a, 2017b)
Lattavaram (P-8)PipeOlivine, serpentinised olivine pseudomorphs, phlogopite, Cr-diopside, pyrope, chromite, ilmenite within groundmass of same compositionUltramafic lamprophyreDongre et al. (2017)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mipo-2026-0001 | Journal eISSN: 1899-8526 | Journal ISSN: 1899-8291
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Language: English
Page range: 1 - 17
Submitted on: Apr 26, 2025
Accepted on: Nov 23, 2025
Published on: Jan 28, 2026
Published by: Mineralogical Society of Poland
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 issue per year
Keywords:
Lamprophyre,
calc-alkaline,
aillikite,
diamond prospectivity,
WKF
Related subjects:
Geosciences,
Geophysics,
Geosciences, other

© 2026 P. Ramesh Chandra Phani, Ioannis Kamvisis, published by Mineralogical Society of Poland
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 57 (2026): Issue 1 (January 2026)
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