Determination of impurities in natural diamonds using neutron activation and high-resolution gamma-spectrometry

Thirty-five natural diamonds from six widely differing localities, weighing from 3.6 mg to 305.3 mg were subjected to instrumental neutron activation analysis using high-resolution semiconductor gamma-spectrometry. By means of short-term and long-term activation in a nuclear reactor, Na, Sc, Cr, Mn, Co, La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Hf, Au, Hg, and Th were determined in all the samples, K, Sr, Ag, Cs, Ba, Yb, Lu and W in some, and qualitative determination was carried out with Ca, Fe, Ni, Ga, As, Zr, Sb, Tb, Dy, Ta, It and U. The study serves as a basis for the study of the relationship between the colour, morphology and luminescence of diamonds and their impurity contents.