Abstract

Alpine-type fissure vein mineralization in the Hiddenite area of western North Carolina, USA consists mostly of quartz, but locally contains Cr-bearing beryl (emerald) or Cr-bearing spodumene (hiddenite). These gem minerals occur in mineral-lined cavities and may be accompanied by euhedral crystals of quartz, calcite, muscovite, rutile, albite, pyrite, siderite and dolomite. Chabazite-Ca occurs as a late stage phase in spodumene-bearing veins, but is absent in emerald-bearing veins. Chabazite-Ca occurs as simple penetrating twins of pseudocubic rhombohedra and as the lens-shaped variety, phacolite. Chabazite-Ca from Hiddenite contains minor amounts of Na, Mg, Fe and K. Phacolitic chabazite-Ca shows Fe-enriched but Mg-depleted cores relative to the rims. Chemical zoning is absent in rhombohedral chabazite. The Hiddenite chabazite apparently precipitated under low temperature (< 250°C) and low pressure (< 2 kbar) conditions during the waning stages of crystallization of an alkaline hydrothermal fluid.

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