Natural monocrystalline lonsdaleite

The existence of a new type of natural lonsdaleite confined to regionally metamorphosed and metasomatically modified rocks is verified based on complex data obtained by high resolution microscopy and spectroscopy. The structural and spectroscopic characteristics of isolated lonsdaleite particles that have a relatively large size and monocrystalline structure are given for the first time. The results of these studies can be used not only for simulating the processes of natural diamond formation, but also for designing superhard materials with allowance for the fact that lonsdaleite is the hardest material on Earth.