Hydrothermal fluids responsible for the formation of precious minerals in the Nigerian Younger Granite Province

Abstract

Preliminary investigations in the Younger Granite Province of Nigeria have revealed that precious and semi-precious minerals like rubies, sapphires, emeralds, aquamarine, zircon and fluorite can be found in the region. The gem minerals are shown to have been produced either by direct deposition along fissures, veins and greisens by hydrothermal fluids or as a result of hydrothermal fluids reacting with wall-rocks. These wall rocks are either biotite granites from which the hydrothermal fluids originated or basement rocks or any other rocks which the biotite granites intrude and their residual hydrothermal fluids have invaded. The hydrothermal fluids appear to have been rich in alkalis (Na+, K+, etc.), rare elements (Be, Zr, F, REE, etc.) and siliceous. As these fluids rose through fractures and channel ways through the rocks, they either deposited the gem minerals in the fractures at the appropriate stability conditions or reacted with the wall-rocks producing the gem minerals at the expense of elements like Ca and A1 in the minerals of these rocks.