Abstract
This study reports silver mineral association found recently in the Stan Terg lead and zinc mine, located in the Vardar Zone (in the northern Kosovo). The described mineralization comprises pyrargyrite, freieslebenite, high-Ag bearing tetrahedrite, freibergite and native compounds (electrum, native silver, native antimony). Ag-minerals occur in vuggs and cracks in massive galena ore, and have signs of the latest precipitated minerals in the deposit. The chemical composition of those minerals was confirmed by the electron microprobe. Freibergite from the Stan Terg deposit reveals zonality and contains between 13.91-20.28 at. % of Ag. High Ag solutions are indicated also by relatively high silver content in electrum, which is between 47.02 and 73.19 at. % of Ag. The Ag association is supposed to be an epithermal equivalent of precious metal mineralization which could be located in the external part of the Stan Terg hydrothermal system. This association occurs in low temperatures, below 200˚C. The Ag-minerals can be part of epithermal veins from the external part of the Stan Terg hydrothermal system. Similarly to the other know Pb-Zn-Ag hydrothermal system, silver association is related to formation of the rhodochrosite banded ore and Ag-Au-Sb±Hg dominated mineralization.
Highlights
Silver minerals are common ore minerals in various types of ore mineralizations and deposits primarily in epithermal vein systems, but they can be found in skarn, sedimentary-exhalative, sediment-hosted, porphyry-types of mineralization (e.g. Pearson et al 1988, Grossou-Valta et al 1990, Püttmann et al 1991, Höller & Gandhi 1995, Schalamuk et al 1997, Zeng et al 2000, Cheilletz et al 2002, Shalaby et al 2004, Seifert & Sandmann 2006)
Polished sections were examined by optical microscopy, and the chemical composition of the minerals was determined by a JEOL JXA-8230 Super Probe electron microprobe in the Critical Elements Laboratory at the Faculty of Geo logy, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow
Sphalerite occurs in minor quantities, together with chalcopyrite and usually is observed only by using a microscope
Summary
Silver minerals are common ore minerals in various types of ore mineralizations and deposits primarily in epithermal vein systems, but they can be found in skarn-, sedimentary-exhalative-, sediment-hosted-, porphyry-types of mineralization (e.g. Pearson et al 1988, Grossou-Valta et al 1990, Püttmann et al 1991, Höller & Gandhi 1995, Schalamuk et al 1997, Zeng et al 2000, Cheilletz et al 2002, Shalaby et al 2004, Seifert & Sandmann 2006). Silver in the ore deposits occurs primarily in solid solutions with galena in the form of. Silver commonly forms its own sulphide minerals; e.g. pyrargyrite, stephanite, proustite, argentite and/or native silver. Stan Terg is one of numerous Pb-Zn deposits in the Vardar zone, located in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula (Southern Europe). Mineral occurrences in the Balkan Peninsula were the main sources of Au and Ag. Mineralization is associated with Tertiary volcanism and is related to hydrothermal activity.
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