We investigate the spontaneous evolution of various self-assembled phase states from a homogeneous aqueous dispersion of high-aspect ratio Montmorillonite (Na Cloisite) nanoclay platelets grounded on the observations made over a period of 3.5 years. We have established the t w -c phase diagram for this system for the first time in salt-free suspensions under normal pH conditions using rheology experiments and have detected that these suspensions do undergo nontrivial phase evolution and aging dynamics. Distinctive phase separation, equilibrium fluid and equilibrium gels in the t w -c phase space are discovered. Cole-Cole plots derived from rheology measurements suggested the presence of inter connected network-like structures for c > c g, c g being the gelation concentration. All dispersions formed stable sols during the initial time, and with aging networklike structures were found to form via two routes: one for c < c g , by phase separation and another for c > c g , through equilibrium gelation. This has invoked and called for a revisit of the phase diagram of aging MMT dispersions.Emergence of anisotropic interaction between patchy colloids give rise to an array of unusual and novel soft materials like empty liquids with vanishing density, arrested networks and equilibrium gels which do not necessarily follow an underlying phase separation process to be borne. Recent research in patchy colloids has thrown up possibilities for intelligent design and development of structured nano-assemblies following a bottomup approach. These systems are inherently rich in dynamics, and a hierarchy of time and length scales adequately defines the properties of the soft matter so formed. Phase stability of dispersions of anisotropic particles has been of much scientific debate in the recent times. Many phase diagrams have been conceived and proposed for colloidal particles having different degree of geometrical anisotropy, namely rods, platelets, disks etc in their dispersion states [1][2][3] . Clays are discotic platelets with varying aspect ratio and surface charge density, and their dispersions exhibit an array of soft matter phases that evolve with waiting time t w as well as solid concentration c. Thus, the t w -c phase diagram is replete with non-trivial and equilibrium soft matter phases continuously evolving with time. From the application point of view, suspensions of clays offer unique properties, including their ability to form arrested states like gels, glasses and liquid crystalline structures under ambient conditions. Remarkably, compared to spherical colloids, clay platelets exhibit gel and glass phases at very low concentrations, which owe their origin to their unique geometrical structure and surface charge heterogeneity.In this work we demonstrate the spontaneous evolution of various self-assembled phases from a homogeneous aqueous dispersion of Montmorillonite (MMT, platelet diameter 250 nm and thickness 1 nm) nanoclay platelets based on the observations made over a period of 3.5 years. We have established ...