Mei Yan Lai PhD| DERTS Trainees

Mei defended her PhD on September 13, 2022. Mei went on to work with the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA) in Carlsbad, CA.

After completing her MSc on the origin of yellow colouration in diamonds from the Chidliak and Ekati (Misery pipe) kimberlites, Mei completed a PhD on diamonds from Sierra Leone (West Africa).

For her PhD Mei completed the first systematic study on diamonds and their inclusions from Sierra Leone. Previously, only a few random analysis of inclusions (e.g., two orthopyroxenes and one eclogitic garnet were analysed by Meyer and Boyd 1972) were available in the literature. Mei characterized the mineral inclusions and their host diamonds.

Internships

Dominion Diamond Mine: June - August 2017

Gemological Institute of America: September - November 2018

Dominion Diamond Mine: June - August 2019

Publications

Lai, Mei Yan, Stachel, Thomas, Stern, Richard, Li, Kan, Pearson, Graham, Harris, Jeff (2023) Nature of slab-mantle interactions recorded by coupled δ13C–δ15N–δ18O signatures and elemental compositions of Koidu diamonds and their inclusions. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, V347, DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2023.02.016

Rythoven, Adrian, Schulze, Daniel, Stern, Richard, Lai, Mei Yan (2022) Composition of Diamond from the 95-2 Pipe, Lake Timiskaming Kimberlite Cluster, Superior Craton, Canada. The Canadian Mineralogist, V60, DOI:10.3749/canmin.2000104

Lai, Mei Yan, Stachel, Thomas, Stern, Richard, Hardman, Matthew, Pearson, Graham, Harris, Jeff (2022) Formation of mixed paragenesis diamonds during multistage growth – Constraints from in situ δ13C–δ15N–[N] analyses of Koidu diamonds. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, V323, DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2022.02.020