Abstract
Selenium-rich Au–Ag mineralization has been discovered in the Kremnica ore district, central Slovakia. The mineralization is hosted by a single quartz–dolomite vein hosted by Neogene propyllitized andesites of the Kremnica stratovolcano. Ore mineralogy and crystal chemistry of individual ore minerals have been studied here. The early base-metal ore mineralization composed of pyrite, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite lacks selenium, whereas the superimposed Au–Ag paragenesis is Se-enriched. The Au–Ag alloys, uytenbogaardtite, minerals of the galena–clausthalite series, acanthite–naumannite series, diaphorite, miargyrite, pyrargyrite–proustite, polybasite group, minerals of the tetrahedrite group and andorite branch (andorite IV, andorite VI, Ag-excess fizélyite), freieslebenite, and rare Pb–Sb sulphosalts (scaiinite, robinsonite, plagionite) have been identified here. Besides selenides, the most Se-enriched phases are miargyrite, proustite–pyrargyrite, and polybasite–pearceite, whose Se contents are among the highest reported worldwide. In addition, one new phase has been found, corresponding to a Se-analogue of pearceite containing 2.08–3.54 apfu Se. The style of mineralization, paragenetic situation, and chemical trends observed in individual minerals are comparable to those of Au–Ag low-sulphidation epithermal Au–Ag mineralizations of the Kremnica and neighboring Štiavnica and Hodruša-Hámre ore districts. However, the pronounced enrichment in selenium is a specific feature of the studied vein only.
Highlights
The ore mineralizations containing selenides or Se-enriched minerals are rather rare in the territory of the Slovak part of the Western Carpathians
The only known and very limited occurrence of selenides from the epithermal veins in this area was described by Jeleň [10], who identified microscopic aggregates of naumannite associated with Se-bearing galena and Se-bearing matildite from the deeper parts of the Špitaler vein in the Banská Štiavnica ore district
This paper deals with a unique occurrence of selenides and Se-enriched Ag sulphosalts, which was recently discovered in the Václav-south adit, 1st vein system of the Kremnica Au–Ag epithermal deposit
Summary
Minor amounts of selenides (clausthalite, bohdanowitzite, naumannite, laitakarite, and ikunolite) as well as Se-bearing bournonite, hedleyite, jamesonite, tetradymite, and tintinaite were described from the quartz-siderite–sulphidic veins near Dobšiná and Uhorná in the Gemeric Superunit [4,5,6]. Laitakarite together with Se-bearing galena and sulphosalts were described from the sulphidic mineralization at the Mútnik magnesite deposit near Hnúšt’a [8,9]. The only known and very limited occurrence of selenides from the epithermal veins in this area was described by Jeleň [10], who identified microscopic aggregates of naumannite associated with Se-bearing galena and Se-bearing matildite from the deeper parts of the Špitaler vein in the Banská Štiavnica ore district. This paper deals with a unique occurrence of selenides and Se-enriched Ag sulphosalts, which was recently discovered in the Václav-south adit, 1st vein system of the Kremnica Au–Ag epithermal deposit
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