X-ray topography of natural diamonds on the VEPP-3 SR beam

X-ray topography (XRT) images were obtained using a double-crystal topographic method, with a magnification system in the Laue case. The experiment was performed at the beamline station “Microscopy and tomography” of the VEPP-3 synchrotron radiation source. Two asymmetrically cut crystals in the Kirkpatrick-Baez scheme were used to increase the spatial resolution. The usage of an asymmetrically cut crystal with a magnification factor of 20 allows us to improve spatial resolution in registered images.A series of slabs of natural diamonds from kimberlite pipes and placers of the Siberian platform was examined. This study confirmed the high efficiency of the XRT method to recover information on the internal structure of natural diamonds. Together with other mineralogical data, the features of internal structure determined by this way are important to deduce the origin and history of growth of natural diamonds.