Abstract
Two new mineral species, vorontsovite, ideally (Hg5Cu)TlAs4S12, and ferrovorontsovite, ideally (Fe5Cu)TlAs4S12, the Tl- and Tl–Fe-analogues of galkhaite, respectively, have been discovered at the Vorontsovskoe gold deposit, Northern Urals, Russia. They occur as anhedral grains up to 0.5 mm (vorontsovite) and 0.2 mm (ferrovorontsovite) embedded in a calcite-dolomite matrix. The chemical composition of vorontsovite (wt %) is: Hg 35.70, Fe 5.36, Zn 1.26, Cu 3.42, Ag 0.64, Tl 11.53, Cs 0.35, Pb 0.04, As 15.98, Sb 2.35, Te 0.41, S 22.70, Se 0.02, total 99.76. The empirical formula, calculated on the basis of 23 atoms pfu, is: [(Hg3.02Fe1.63Zn0.33)Σ4.98(Cu0.91Ag0.10)Σ1.01](Tl0.96Cs0.04)Σ1.00(As3.62Sb0.33Te0.05)Σ4.00S12.01. The composition of ferrovorontsovite (wt %) is: Hg 25.13, Fe 9.89, Zn 1.16, Cu 3.95, Ag 0.45, Tl 12.93, Cs 0.44, Pb 0.04, As 17.83, Sb 2.15, Te 0.40, S 24.91, total 99.28. The empirical formula, calculated on the basis of 23 atoms pfu, is: [(Fe2.74Hg1.94Zn0.27)Σ4.95(Cu0.96Ag0.06)Σ1.02](Tl0.98Cs0.05)Σ1.03(As3.68Sb0.27Te0.05)Σ4.00S12.00. Both minerals are cubic, space group I-43m, with a = 10.2956(6) Å, V = 1091.3(1) Å3, Z = 2 (vorontsovite); and a = 10.2390(7) Å, V = 1073.43(22) Å3, Z = 2 (ferrovorontsovite). The crystal structures of both minerals were refined to R = 0.0376 (vorontsovite) and R = 0.0576 (ferrovorontsovite). Vorontsovite and ferrovorontsovite have been approved by the IMA-CNMNC under the numbers 2016-076 and 2017-007, respectively. The first one is named after the type locality, but also honors the mining engineer Vladimir Vasilyevich Vorontsov. The second is named for its chemical composition, as the Fe-analogue of the first. Both species are isostructural with galkhaite, being its Tl- and Tl–Fe analogues, respectively, and forming altogether the galkhaite group.
Highlights
Over the last few years, we have been systematically investigating a remarkable Tl–Hg-rich assemblage found in the specimens from the active Vorontsovskoe gold deposit in the NorthernUrals
Vorontsov was an important figure in the Northern Urals at the end of the 19th century; in particular, he was the superintendent of the Bogoslovskiy mining district where he organized an extensive geological survey and prospecting work that resulted in the discovery of several deposits, including an iron deposit
Tl-bearing minerals are attracting attention in mineralogy for several reasons, mainlyvery related to the strong toxicity of Tl elements for living organisms and to the increased reasons, to the stronghave toxicity of Tlin elements and to the in increased economicmainly value related that such elements shown the lastfor
Summary
Over the last few years, we have been systematically investigating a remarkable Tl–Hg-rich assemblage found in the specimens from the active Vorontsovskoe gold deposit in the Northern. In this paper we describe two new minerals—vorontsovite (pronounced: vo-ron-tso-vait) and its Fe-analogue ferrovorontsovite (pronounced: fer-ro-vo-ron-tso-vait) Both were discovered in the specimens collected in March 2016 by one of the authors (M.V.T.) in the ore stockpile of the Vorontsovskoe deposit. Vorontsovite is named after its type locality, the Vorontsovskoe gold deposit, and honors the mining engineer Vladimir Vasilyevich Vorontsov (1842–after 1908). V.V. Vorontsov was an important figure in the Northern Urals at the end of the 19th century; in particular, he was the superintendent of the Bogoslovskiy mining district where he organized an extensive geological survey and prospecting work that resulted in the discovery of several deposits, including an iron deposit. Mineralogical Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia: vorontsovite—under the registration number 4917/1, and ferrovorontsovite—under the registration number 4976/1
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