Pegmatite Group Research Articles

Stable isotopes (O, H) and quartz geochemistry provide insight to melt source and subsolidus fluid:rock interaction in the Cretaceous Little Nahanni LCT Pegmatites (NWT, Canada)

Previous studies of the mid-Cretaceous (ca. 85 Ma) LCT-type Little Nahanni Pegmatite Group (LNPG; Northwest Territories, Canada) document disequilibrium textures and pervasive metasomatism associated with rare-metal (e.g., Ta, Nb, Sn) mineralization. As in other pegmatite settings, the source of the melts and the nature and origin of pervasive metasomatism remain enigmatic. To resolve these latter issues, an integrated study of bulk O and H isotope analysis of mineral separates (quartz, K-feldspar, albite, muscovite, garnet), in situ Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) isotopic (O) analysis of quartz and albite, and in situ Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) trace element analysis of quartz was done in concert with cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and petrographic observations. Quartz with elevated δ18O values (δ18Oquartz = 10 to 16.3‰) also have high Ti-in-quartz temperatures (551 ± 17 °C to 603 ± 16 °C). These data along with their pristine nature from CL imaging suggest some localized melt-wall rock (WR) exchange occurred at the time of pegmatite melt emplacement. Furthermore, the elevated δ18O values indicate a crustal source (i.e., S-type granite) for the LNPG parental melt, which also overlaps with δ18Oquartz data for granitoids of the mid- to Late-Cretaceous Selwyn Plutonic Suite of this area. In contrast, the large range for δ18O values for metasomatic minerals, such as albite (−3.0 to +18.3‰) indicate a complex evolution involving multiple oxygen isotopic reservoirs, in particular incursion of meteoric water previously equilibrated with metasedimentary wall rocks. Finally, the large range for mineral pairs (e.g., Δquartz-albite = −5.1 to +14.3‰) and abundance of dissolution features in late-stage assemblages unequivocally indicates that sub-solidus fluid:rock interaction was responsible for such large spreads in δ18O and values δD values, although other processes (e.g., disequilibrium crystallization, thermal gradients, rapid cooling) might have also contributed, but to lesser extents.

Evolution of the rare-metal mineralization system associated with collision-related pegmatites in the western Altyn Tagh Orogen, Tugeman, NW China

On a regional scale, rare-metal pegmatite groups (pegmatites of common origin) display a zonal distribution with different chemical compositions. Whether the regional distribution of such pegmatites dike in a convergent zone is related to dehydration melting of different micas remains unclear. In recent years, the Altyn Tagh Orogen (ATO) in the northwest China has gained attention due to economically significant rare-metal mineralization. Our study focuses on the geochronology of columbite-group minerals (CGMs) and geochemistry of tourmaline from the Be-mineralized pegmatites in the Tugeman and Ayage Be deposits. CGM dating shows that these Be-mineralized pegmatites formed between 485 and 484 Ma. Subsequent hydrothermal activity, occurring around 453–450 Ma, is related to the development of a ductile shear zone. Evidence from tourmaline mineralogy and major elements reveals that the evolution of the Be-mineralized pegmatite is influenced by crystallization differentiation and subsequent fluid exsolution. Tourmalines from these pegmatites exhibit B isotope compositions ranging from –12.2 ‰ to –14.8 ‰, indicating a crustal metasediment source. Based on these findings, we propose a model for the rare-metal mineralization system in the Tugeman area: the sequential formation of Be to Li-mineralized pegmatites likely results from dehydration melting of muscovite and biotite during prolonged subduction and collision between the South Altyn Subduction–Collision Belt (SAB) and Central Altyn Block (CAB).

Textural and Chemical Characters of Lean Grade Placer Monazite of Bramhagiri Coast, Odisha, India

The present study aims to investigate the textural, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of lean grade placer monazite from the Bramhagiri beach sand deposit to assess the possibility for its use in industrial applications. The bulk back dune sand deposit with 18 samples showed the elements uranium and thorium in traces, phosphorus and calcium in minor amounts, and alumina, silica and titanium in major amounts. Since apatite was absent in this placer deposit, P and Ca were attributed to monazite only. Based on the chemical analysis, it was established that the monazite mineral exists in this deposit. The monazite is generally below the −150- to +90-micron size range, and the concentration of the monazite mineral in the bulk back dune sand is around 0.01% by weight. The structural data and complete chemical analysis established that the monazite is Ce-monazite. The monazites with other heavy mineral sands of the Bramhagiri beach placer deposits were derived from the Eastern Ghats, which closely resembles the mineralogical composition of khondalite, charnockite, leptynite and pegmatite groups of rocks. The Eastern Ghats’ provenance appears to be the primary source for the heavy mineral assemblages of the Bramhagiri placer deposit. Thus, these monazite sands are derived from the granulite facies of metamorphic rocks such as khondalites and charnockites from the Eastern Ghats group of rocks. Garnet is the major mineral, following ilmenite and sillimanite. Zircon, rutile and monazite are minor minerals in the deposit. All these minerals are well liberated and have uniform shapes with variable densities and size ranges, with different magnetic, electrical and surface properties. Hence, the occurrences of these heavy minerals are of economic importance. Further, these minerals can be recovered individually for industrial applications.

Petrography and Geochemical Signatures of Pegmatites from the Southeastern Part Comoé Basin (South-East Côte d'Ivoire, North Alépé)

The pegmatitic rocks located in the south-east of Côte d'Ivoire between the Comoé basin and the Sefwi belt are the subject of this study. The geology of this region consists of gneisses, granites, microgranites, amphibolites, mylonites and metasediments. All these rocks are generally crosscut by quartz and pegmatite lodes. The petrographic studies allow us to discriminate four groups of pegmatites on the basis of mineralogy: (i) beryl-muscovite bearing pegmatite (Aboisso-Comoé), (ii) albite-tourmaline bearing pegmatite (Aboisso-Comoé), (iii) micas-tourmaline bearing pegmatite (Alosso) and (iv) muscovite-garnet bearing pegmatite (Songan forest). XRD analyzes on 4 samples revealed the presence of lepidolite (lithium ore) in the muscovite-garnet bearing pegmatite (Songan forest) and phengite in beryl-muscovite bearing pegmatite (Aboisso-Comoé). The pegmatite diffractograms of Aboisso-Comoé (beryl-muscovite bearing pegmatite) and Songan forest (muscovite-garnet bearing pegmatite) show almost same signatures and would suggest that those pegmatites come from the same source. Geochemical analyzes by portable XRF carried out on muscovite and feldspar minerals indicate that the samples from Aboisso-Comoé and Songan forest have the characteristics of Lithium-Cesium-Tantale type (LCT) pegmatites. The geochemical diagrams indicated the probable presence of beryl and spodumene type mineralization in the muscovite-garnet bearing pegmatite.

Textural and Mineralogical Evolution of the Little Nahanni Pegmatite Group (NWT, Canada) with Implications for Metasomatism, Rare-Metal Mineralization, and Pegmatite–Wall Rock Interaction

Abstract Situated in the Northwest Territories (Canada), the Cretaceous (ca. 85 Ma) Little Nahanni Pegmatite Group is an LCT-type pegmatite swarm enriched in Li, Sn, and Ta. Displaying intensive albitization associated with rare-metal mineralization (i.e., Nb, Ta, Sn), having a notably high surface-area-to-volume ratio (i.e., hundreds of thin dikes), and being particularly well exposed in a suite of thirteen glacial cirques, the Little Nahanni Pegmatite Group provides an ideal opportunity to investigate some unresolved aspects of pegmatite formation and evolution, such as metasomatism, pegmatite–wall rock interaction, and the nature and origin of rare-metal mineralization (i.e., magmatic versus metasomatic). Using an integrated approach combining field observations with detailed textural and mineralogical studies, two different stages of pegmatite evolution are documented: primary magmatic followed by intense metasomatism. Preservation of primary magmatic features, such as coarse oriented high aspect-ratio crystals (spodumene, K-feldspar), banded aplites, anisotropic fabrics, and skeletal textures, highlight the importance of undercooling (ΔT) of the melt with consequent disequilibrium crystallization and boundary layer effects. The metasomatic stage is dominated by the formation of domains of secondary albite and is attributed to interaction with a residual highly fluxed sodic melt and is responsible for most of the rare-metal mineralization; less abundant micaceous units and cafemic domains reflect incursion of acidic magmatic-sourced and alkaline wall rock derived fluids. Our findings are significant and have widespread application to all pegmatite types. Particularly significant is the finding that the rare-metal mineralization is mostly localized to zones of metasomatism.

Formation of granitic pegmatites during orogenies: Indications from a case study of the pegmatites in China

Granitic pegmatites are a type of igneous rock with very coarse-to gigantic-sized textures, and are the primary source of rare metals (e.g., Li, Be, Nb, and Ta) and gem resources. Their formation is closely related to plate movements and crustal growth that occurred during an orogeny. In order to study the formation patterns of pegmatites and their controlling factors during orogeny, we collected the isotopic ages and compositions of granite-pegmatite fields in the ten major pegmatite belts identified in China. Pegmatites in China first formed in the North China Craton at ∼ 2.7 Ga, with the greatest number of mapped pegmatites having formed during the Mesozoic Era. Over geologic time, the pegmatites type tended to change from abyssal pegmatites to muscovite pegmatites to predominantly the LCT-type pegmatites. Pegmatites that formed within a single orogenic cycle usually crystallized during a brief time period. Within an orogenic belt that was subject to multiple orogenies, different pegmatite groups are associated with the orogenies; the pegmatite groups tend to increase in terms of size, numbers and mineralization intensity from the old to the young orogenic cycle. The pegmatite lineage, identified in the orogenic history of China Mainland, indicates that the convergences of micro-blocks in China constrained pegmatite formation in China. Anataxis of the metasediments (i.e., metapelites), as demonstated by their isotopic compositions, during the orogenies produced the granitic-pegmatitic melts. During the Earth’s crust evolution, the increasing maturity of the pegmatite source-rock metasediments promoted the occurrences of large pegmatites with great degrees of rare element mineralization in the Mesozoic Era in the Songpan-Ganze-West Kunlun and Altay orogenic belts, and the common formation of spodumene-subtype pegmatite rather than petalite-subtype pegmatites in the Phanerozoic orogenies in China. The Archean metasediments in the North China Craton, due to their low maturity with few terrigenous components, did not produce large LCT-type pegmatites. Accordingly, recognizing the linkage of metasediments within the orogenies to pegmatite formation can point to potential prospecting areas for new rare metal deposits. Thick metapelites within their structural-metamorphic domes are important markers of pegmatite prediction. In addition, granites that formed within the pegmatite-forming peak periods during orogenies may preferentially produce pegmatites relative to other time periods.

Monazite age and composition from a granite-pegmatite system: A link between pegmatites of the São João del Rei Pegmatitic Province and the newly defined high-K Restinga Metagranite, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Monazite geochronology (U–Pb by LA–SF–ICP-MS) and chemical composition by electron microprobe were used to characterize the genetic link between a group of pegmatites from the São João del Rei Pegmatitic Province and a newly defined high-K metagranite of the younger Rhyacian-Orosirian Ritápolis magmatic arc of the Mineiro Belt. The monazite-(Ce) of four samples from the granite and ten from pegmatites yielded the REE pattern of a granite-pegmatite system, where the ∑LREE is similar, but the content of MREE, and Dy increase with the diminution of the crystallization temperature and, consequently, presenting a higher degree of differentiation. The monazite ages of 2022 ± 17 Ma and 2008 ± 8 Ma in the pegmatites correspond to a new event of crystallization of these bodies in the São João del Rei Pegmatitic Province. These pegmatites have a remarkable amount of xenotime and monazite (and absence of cassiterite) and have been characterized as REE-enriched pegmatites. These bodies are connected to the crystallization of an Orosirian high-K metagranite, which has a monazite crystallization age of 2018 ± 31 Ma. This metagranite, proposed here to be named as “Restinga Metagranite”, represents a new and the youngest pluton of the Mineiro Belt, increasing in 90 Ma the evolution time of the Ritápolis magmatic arc (2.19–2.02 Ga), and the Mineiro Belt (2.47–2.02 Ga).

Garnet composition from the Reflejos de Mar LCT-pegmatite, Ancasti district, Argentina and its implication for exploration of primary deposits of lithium

The Reflejos de Mar Li-pegmatite, located in northwestern Argentina, is part of the Villismán pegmatite group, Ancasti District, Pampean Pegmatite Province. Four garnet crystals from the outermost part of the pegmatite were analyzed by major and minor elements (SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, Cr2O3, MgO, CaO, MnO, FeO) using electron microprobe. The pegmatite belongs to the rare-element class, spodumene type, LCT (Li-Cs-Ta) petrogenetic family. Based on their Mn and Fe contents, the analyzed garnet can be assigned to the spessartine-almandine serie. The cores and rims of the analyzed garnets show significant differences for the divalent components in VIII-coordination, especially, Mn and Fe. The average MnO and FeO contents in the cores of the grains is 34.6 and 8.29 wt%, respectively, while in the rims is 29.31 and 12.95 wt%, respectively. The Fe/Mn ratio at the core of the grains is 0.24 while at the rims it is 0.44. Cr2O3 and TiO2 contents are very low (˂0.17 wt%) and the values of SiO2 and Al2O3 are ~36 and ~21 wt%, respectively. The mean chemical and molecular formulas of the core can be expressed: [(Mn2.40 Fe0.57 Ca0.02 Mg0.02)3.01 (Al1.99 Cr0.002)2.00 (Si2.99 Ti0.01)3.00 O12]; {Sps79.8 Alm18.9 Grs0.7 Prp0.5}; and the rim as: [(Mn2.04 Fe0.89 Ca0.05 Mg0.04)3.02 (Al2.00 Cr0.002)2.00 (Si2.98 Ti0.005)3.00 O12]; {Sps67.6 Alm29.5 Grs1.6 Prp1.3}. The chemical composition of garnet from the Reflejos de Mar pegmatite is similar to other worldwide examples in similar rocks, especially LCT pegmatites, which are highly evolved and associated with Li mineralization. Therefore, its composition could be used as an additional tool in the exploration of Li-bearing pegmatites in the Pampean Pegmatite Province. The differences in Fe-Mn contents between core and rim of the crystals would be controlled by variations in composition of the pegmatitic melt and, in addition, by the simultaneous precipitation of other mineral phases, for example, schorl and Mn-Fe-bearing phosphates.

Tourmalines in the Namacotche Li-Cs-Ta granitic pegmatite group, Mozambique: crystal chemistry and origin

The field work, backscattered electron images and detailed microanalyses of three generations of tourmaline from the Namacotche LCT pegmatites allows de distinction between the compositional magmatic and hydrothermal tourmalines. The generation 1 occurs in the outer intermediate zone of the pegmatite. It consists of zoned crystals with an oscillatory inner core of foitite and schorl, an outer core of schorl and an Fe-rich fluor-elbaite rim. Unzoned Fe-rich fluor-elbaite crystals occur in the inner intermediate zone of the pegmatite. All the crystals are derived by fractionation of a (Al, Li, B)-rich pegmatite melt. However, the rim of zoned crystals and some compositions of unzoned crystals show evidence of hydrothermal fluids, as they plot outside the fractionation trends. The zoned fluor-elbaite crystals of the generation 2 are from the inner intermediate zone of the pegmatite. They have a pink core and a green rim. The rim has higher YFe2+, Na, F contents YFe2+/(YFe2++Licalc.) value and lower Si, YAl, Licalc. and X-site vacancy contents, X-vacancy/(Na+X-vacancy) value than the core. Both zones are hydrothermal. The rim is an overgrowth. The fluor-elbaite gemmy crystals of the generation 3 occur in sheared breccia blasts and clasts with a cookeite matrix. They depend mainly on the fluid-rich hydrothermal environment of low temperatures (280-150ºC). Some from the cycle a may result from the dissolution of magmatic tourmaline crystals of the generation 1 from the sheared outer and inner intermediate zones of the pegmatite due to reaction with late fluids in chemical disequilibrium, followed by growth of tourmaline with low temperature hydrothermal fluids. The evolution from the cycle a to the cycle b and to the cycle c of the generation 3 implies that the hydrothermal reacting fluids were undergoing fractionation and becoming richer in Li and poorer in Fe2+ during the late hydrothermal crystallization of the pegmatites.

Geochronological constraints for a two-stage history of the Sveconorwegian rare-element pegmatite province formation

Most pegmatites of southern Norway seem to be derived from anatectic melting of metamorphic rocks during the Sveconorwegian orogeny rather than to be highly evolved residual melts derived from granites. We test this hypothesis by providing new age data for thirteen pegmatites and one granite. Based on these new age data, we distinguish two age groups of Sveconorwegian pegmatites (>1,000 m3 in size); Group 1: 1100–1030 Ma and Group 2: 930–890 Ma. All pegmatites except those from the Østfold area crystallized significantly earlier or later than adjacent granites. The Tørdal granite, yielding an age of 946 ± 4 Ma, is about 40 Ma older than the adjacent pegmatites. Field evidence and the age difference between pegmatites and granites supports an anatectic origin for these pegmatites. Sources of these pegmatite melts are biotite- and biotite-amphibole gneisses and amphibolites. Group 1 pegmatites formed in transpressional regimes after peak metamorphism, whereas Group 2 pegmatites formed in an extensional regime and the required heat for partial melting was provided by mafic magma underplating.Differences in the rheological behavior of amphibolite and granitic gneiss during extensional tectonics are the major reason why Group 2 pegmatites occur preferentially in large amphibolite bodies. Under mid-crustal conditions, amphibolite reacts brittle to semi-brittle forming open structures in an extensional tectonic regime where partial melts drained into. Granitic gneisses react in a ductile manner and do not have the ability to drain partial melt.Pegmatite formation in the Grenville Province, i.e., the Laurentian part of the Grenville–Sveconorwegian orogenic belt, formed between ca. 1090 and 980 Ma peaking at 1010 to 980 Ma. Thus, the Grenville peak postdates the Sveconorwegian Group 1 peak by about 30 Ma. These pegmatites formed in similar orogenic settings, implying that similar tectono-metamorphic developments along the Grenville–Sveconorwegian orogenic belt were diachronous.We conclude that local anatexis is the major pegmatite-melt forming process in the Sveconorwegian as well as Grenville orogen. Local anatexis also may be important in other pegmatite provinces.

Internal Structure, Petrography and Mineralogy of Beryl in Bahr-e-Abad Area, East of Afghanistan

This paper deals with the study of beryl, its variety, petrographic, and gemological specifications in the Bahr-e-Abad area of Jalalabad city. Beryl is a relatively rare silicate mineral, cyclo-silicate, with a chemical composition of Be3Al2 (Si6O18) and a hexagonal crystal shape. It is found in igneous and metamorphic rocks in many parts of the world. In order to achieve the aim of this paper, three methods, namely; library work, fieldwork, and lab work, were conducted, and about 20 specimens were collected from the above-mentioned area and taken to the Afghanistan Geological Survey (AGS) for making the thin sections and spectrometry analysis. Bahr-e-Abad area is related to the tectonic zone of Jalalabad. Jalalabad zone is located in the eastern part of Afghanistan and southeast of the Nuristan zone. Correspondingly, this zone is related to the upper Cambrian or younger Cambrian. In this area, the age of rocks is related to Archean- Middle Proterozoic AR-PR2. Beryl mineral is mostly found in Europe, Norway, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Russia, Brazil, the US, Colombia, and Pakistan. Afghanistan is counted as one of the world’s leading countries in having rare-metal pegmatites, which are present in Afghanistan’s pegmatite belts in Afghanistan. This mineral is widely available in the pegmatite veins of Nuristan, Sistan, Panjshir, and Laghman. All pegmatite groups of Afghanistan are related to intrusive rocks. This study found that the rocks which are situated within pegmatite veins, besides beryl mineral, generally have the same composition and contain plagioclase, feldspar alkali (sodium-potassium), and mica (phlogopite and biotite) minerals. This is a microcline – albite type.

A proposed new mineralogical classification system for granitic pegmatites

ABSTRACTThe current classification of granitic pegmatites, originally introduced by Černý (1991a), has been the accepted system for grouping pegmatites of diverse mineralogy and chemistry for nearly three decades. Despite its general acceptance, several issues have been highlighted (Müller et al. 2022) which have imposed some limitations on its use and therefore necessitated the need to reevaluate its methodology. A new classification for granitic pegmatites is proposed in an attempt to be more inclusive of pegmatite types omitted in previous classification schemes. The new approach utilizes a more comprehensive suite of accessory minerals and defines three pegmatite groups which are genetically related to granite plutons and the anatexis of metaigneous and metasedimentary protoliths. Pegmatites belonging to Groups 1 and 2 are generated from the residual melts of S-, A-, and I-type granite magmatism (RGM) as well as being direct products of anatexis (DPA), whereas Group 3 pegmatites are only derived by anatexis.

Two-stage regional rare-element pegmatite formation at Tysfjord, Norway: implications for the timing of late Svecofennian and late Caledonian high-temperature events

Pegmatite fields within granite plutons are commonly considered to have formed from residual melts of their host. This is not always true as demonstrated by the Tysfjord granite gneiss and its two groups of pegmatites. The Tysfjord granite gneiss, exposed in a tectonic window of the Caledonides of northern Norway, is part of the transscandinavian igneous belt (TIB) that includes several phases of granitic magmatism. In the northern Hamarøy area (Drag-Finnøy), where most rare-element pegmatites occur, Paleoproterozoic and metamorphosed Group 1 allanite–(Ce)–fluorite metapegmatites have similar bulk rock chemical composition as the TIB granite gneiss rocks, indicating that these pegmatites are residual melts. Group 1 metapegmatites, which are up to 400 m in size, are among the largest known intra-plutonic pegmatites with Nb–Y–F (NYF) signature. The formation of these unusually large granite-hosted NYF pegmatites may have been facilitated by the overall high F content of TIB granite gneisses. Undeformed Group 2 amazonite–tourmaline pegmatites yield columbite and zircon U–Pb ages in the range 400–379 Ma. These pegmatites are interpreted to be anatectic melts that formed from the partial melting of Tysfjord granite gneiss. Group 2 pegmatites, including those from Træna Island and the Sjona tectonic window (400 and 414 Ma), formed during late Caledonian ductile shearing and incipient unroofing of the central Scandinavian Caledonides and record progressively younger ages of this event from SW to NE.

The Magmatic–Hydrothermal Transition in Lithium Pegmatites: Petrographic and Geochemical Characteristics of Pegmatites from the Kamativi Area, Zimbabwe

ABSTRACTLithium is a critical metal, vital for electrification of transport. Currently, around half the world's lithium is extracted from rare-metal pegmatites and understanding the genesis and evolution of these igneous rocks is therefore essential. This paper focuses on the pegmatites in the Kamativi region of Zimbabwe. A group of early pegmatites is distinguished from a late pegmatite suite which includes the ca. 1030 Ma Main Kamativi Pegmatite. Previously mined for tin, the mine tailings are now being investigated for lithium. Mineral-scale investigation of samples from the Main Kamativi Pegmatite has allowed recognition of a four-stage paragenesis: (1) an early magmatic assemblage dominated by quartz, alkali feldspar, spodumene (LiAlSi2O6) and montebrasite [LiAl(PO4)(OH, F)]; (2) partial alteration by widespread albitization, associated with growth of cassiterite and columbite group minerals; (3) irregular development of a quartz, muscovite, columbite group mineral assemblage; and (4) widespread low-temperature fluid-induced alteration of earlier phases to cookeite, sericite, analcime, and apatite. Whole-rock geochemistry indicates that the late pegmatites are enriched in Li, Cs, Ta, Sn, and Rb but depleted in Nb, Zr, Ba, Sr, and the rare earth elements relative to early pegmatites and country rock granitoids. A combination of field relationships and published dating indicates that the granitoids, and probably the early pegmatites, were emplaced toward the end of the ca. 2000 Ma Magondi Orogeny, whereas the late pegmatites are almost 1000 million years younger. The late pegmatites thus cannot be genetically related to the granitoids and are instead likely to have formed by partial melting of metasedimentary source rocks. The drivers for this melting may be related to crustal thickening along the northern margin of the Kalahari Craton during the assembly of Rodinia.

Ore Microscopy of the Pegmatites of Keffi Area, North Central Nigeria

Investigation of the pegmatites of Keffi area was carried out in reflected light microscopy to determine the texture, elemental composition, and the semi-quantitative analysis of the ore minerals from the three groups of pegmatites identified in Keffi area: the non-mineralised, the intermediate and the mineralised pegmatites. Backscattered Electron (BSE) images and Wavelength Dispersive Spectrometry (WDS) were used. Petrographically the portion which is characterised by profuse albitisation, sericitisation and silicification is also associated with the development of cleavelandite, lepidolite, coloured tourmaline and high concentrations of cassiterite and columbite-tantalite (coltan).The order of crystallisation in the pegmatites is from microcline to quartz followed by (plagioclases) oligoclase to albite and by mica (from biotite to muscovite) then by accessory minerals such as black tourmaline, garnet, beryl and lastly oxides of Sn-Nb-Ta. Sphene, rutile, zircon, apatite, ilmenite, and magnetite appeared to be earliest minerals whilst garnet pyrite and chalcopyrite may be syn-metamorphic. Beryl and coloured tourmaline appear to be of hydrothermal phase.

Rare element minerals\u2019 assemblage in El Quemado pegmatites (Argentina): insights for pegmatite melt evolution from gahnite, columbite-group minerals and tourmaline chemistry and implications for minerogenesis

The pegmatite district of El Quemado (NW Pampean Ranges, NW Argentina) hosts several Ordovician pegmatite bodies of the LCT (Li, Cs, Ta) type. We present paragenetic assemblages for a set of samples from two of the El Quemado pegmatite groups, Santa Elena and Tres Tetas, and mineral chemistry analyses for gahnite, columbite-group minerals, tourmaline, micas, albite, microcline, and discuss the relation between their major element composition and the degree of evolution of pegmatite melts. The chemical composition of rare element minerals allows recognizing an evolutive trend reaching highly differentiated compositions, with complex paragenetic assemblages including Li-, Zr-, U-, Zn-, P-, Mn- and Ta-bearing minerals. The temperature of crystallization during the magmatic phase was below 400 °C. Non-pervasive hydrothermal alteration, testified by a moderate presence of phyllosilicates, affected the pegmatite bodies. Chlorite geothermometry indicates that the circulation of post-magmatic hydrothermal fluids occurred at a temperature ranging between 200 °C and 250 °C. The mineralogical features recognized in the El Quemado pegmatite rocks have implications for the metallogenesis of the region, suggesting that the pegmatites potentially contributed to the genesis of Ta-Nb oxide placer mineralizations.

Geological and Geochemical Characterisation of Pegmatites around Olode, Southwestern Nigeria

Olode is prolific in terms of pegmatites, occurring in different ways as large intrusive bodies, as veins and dykes, discordantly intruding the host rocks of mica schist, gneiss and granite. This study is aimed at the geological and geochemical characterisation of pegmatites around Olode. Field investigation was undertaken to determine the occurrences and relationships of the pegmatites with the host rocks. Fresh pegmatite samples were studied petrographically and geochemically. Two main lithologically and chronologically different groups of pegmatites were distinguishable in the study area. These were the tourmaline pegmatites associated with the Older Granite rocks and the NE-SW trending beryl-bearing pegmatites typically occurring as dykes, hosted by the mica schist. Results of the geochemical analysis showed variations in the chemical compositions of the two varieties of pegmatites, reflecting their mineralogical differences, but with common peraluminous provenance. The discrimination plots of Cs and Rb versus K/Rb have classified most of the beryl-bearing pegmatites as mineralised, with mean K/Rb ratio of 85, and the tourmaline pegmatites as barren. The Olode pegmatites have emanated from a common source, a higly mineralised magma, and their differences in chemical composition and occurrences have resulted from fractional crystallisation of the parent magma and varied evolutionary trends.
 Keywords: Olode; Pegmatites; Beryl-bearing; Tourmaline; Mineralised;

Geochemistry of the Villismán granite, associated aplite-pegmatites and surrounding Li-pegmatites, Sierra de Ancasti, Argentina

The Villismán pegmatite group belonging to the Ancasti district of the Pampean Pegmatite Province is geologically formed by banded schists of the Ancasti Formation which are intruded by the homonymous granitic stock and Li-pegmatites. It is located in the northern sector of the Sierra de Ancasti, Catamarca province, Argentina. The Villismán stock -VG- is a small, sub-rounded in shape two-mica-syenogranite. The VG hosts felsic aplitic and pegmatitic dykes -FDVG- with muscovite, black-tourmaline (schorl) ± garnet as main accessory minerals. The Li-pegmatites contain giant crystals of spodumene and are classified as of the Rare-Element class (REL) and REL-Li subclass pegmatites and belong to the LCT (Li–Cs–Ta) pegmatite family. They are more or less symmetrically zoned with outward zones composed of felsic aplite and coarse-grained to very coarse-grained granite -OZLiP-. The minerals of OZLiP are quartz, feldspars (secondary albite ‘cleavelandite’ predominant over K-feldspar), muscovite and scarce black-tourmaline (schorl), garnet and F-apatite. The VG, FDVG and OZLiP have high and similar SiO2 concentrations (72–78 wt %). They are peraluminous (ASIVG 1.10–1.16; ASIFDVG 1.23–1.77, ASIOZLiP 1.00–1.14). The VG has subalkaline-calc alkaline character with K2O > Na2O. Ferromagnesian elements (included Ti) and CaO have low concentrations in VG and the FeOt/FeOt + MgO ratio is low (0.80–0.82) classifying it as magnesian granite. High Rb/Sr (FDVG ~16; OZLiP ~19) and Rb/Ba (FDVG ~41; OZLiP ~ 7) and low K/Rb (FDVG ~107; OZLiP ~56) ratios clearly indicate that aplites and pegmatites are geochemically more evolved than the Villismán Granite (Rb/SrVG ~ 3; Rb/BaVG ~ 0.8; K/RbVG ~ 161). The Zr-saturation temperature in the granites, as expected, is higher than in the dykes and the outward zones of the Li-pegmatites. The VG is a post-orogenic granite developed in the easternmost sector of the Ordovician Famatinian active arc. All geological, mineralogical and geochemical features of the VG are comparable to typical S-type granites, probably originated from partial melting of the metasedimentary rocks of the Ancasti Formation. FDVG could have been formed by fractional crystallization from the VG parental-magma.

Origin of rare-element-mineralized Damara Belt pegmatites: A geochemical and light stable isotope study

Neoproterozoic Li–Cs–Ta (LCT) pegmatites and pegmatitic sheeted leucogranites (SLGs) of the Damara Belt, Namibia, although coeval, are variably mineralized and have intruded multiple tectono-stratigraphic units. Major and trace element data together with oxygen and hydrogen isotopes were used to identify possible sources for these pegmatite melts. Two groups of pegmatites can be identified on the basis of O-isotopes. Group A pegmatites, which include U-enriched pegmatitic SLGs with a Nb–Y–F (NYF) pegmatite affinity (Kinnaird and Nex, 2007), and Li–Be-rich LCT pegmatites, with δ18O = 11.2–12.9‰, are metaluminous to peraluminous, suggesting that they evolved from a partial melt of a mixed metasedimentary and igneous source. Group B pegmatites, which contain Sn, Li–Sn and tourmaline mineralization, have higher δ18O values (14–16‰), consistent with their derivation from a purely S-type source, with possible incorporation of, or exchange with, carbonates. Crystallization temperatures calculated using Ti-in-quartz and O-isotope thermometry are in agreement with each other, and range from 420 to 575 °C for LCT pegmatites and 650 °C for pegmatitic SLGs. The juxtaposition of coeval, post-tectonic LCT pegmatites and pegmatitic SLGs with an NYF affinity in the Damara Belt precludes tectonic setting as the only source of compositional variability in LCT and NYF pegmatite melts.

Petrogenesis of the Lijiagou spodumene pegmatites in Songpan-Garze Fold Belt, West Sichuan, China: Evidence from geochemistry, zircon, cassiterite and coltan U-Pb geochronology and Hf isotopic compositions

Spodumene and other pegmatites in the Lijiagou area are located in the central Songpan-Garze Fold Belt (SGFB), West Sichuan. These pegmatites are hosted within the giant Songpan-Garze polymetallic belt. A lack of precise geochronological constraints on the magmatic crystallization of the pegmatite suite and nearby plutonic granitoids has precluded definitive statements on genetic links between spodumene ore formation and the magmatic suite. Systematic zircon, cassiterite and coltan U-Pb dating, Hf isotope and whole-rock geochemical analysis were undertaken. Two-mica granite and muscovite albite granite have S-type granite affinities and chemical compositions suggesting a post-orogenic setting, and the albite spodumene pegmatites belong to the LCT (Li-Cs-Ta) group of pegmatites. Zircon LA-MC-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of the two-mica granite, muscovite albite granite, albite pegmatite and albite spodumene pegmatite give crystallization ages of 219.2 ± 2.3 Ma (MSWD = 0.55), 217 ± 2.8 Ma (MSWD = 0.47), 202.8 ± 4.9 Ma (MSWD = 3.9) and 200.1 ± 4.6 Ma (MSWD = 3.1), respectively. Zircons from the same units yield εHf(t) values of −39.17 to 6.81, −22.73 to −2.83, −11.17 to 8.14, and −4.92 to −2.4, respectively, consistent with mixed crustal sources for the pegmatite and granite magmas. Cassiterite from albite spodumene pegmatite yields a concordia intercept age of 211.4 ± 3.3 Ma (MSWD = 2.9), while coltan yields a weighted mean age of 211.1 ± 1.0 Ma (MSWD = 0.97). The U-Pb zircon ages of the two-mica granite and muscovite albite granite are interpreted as ages of magmatic crystallization. Metamictization of zircon in both albite and albite spodumene pegmatites makes their U-Pb zircon ages liable to inaccuracy due to Pb loss. The coltan U-Pb age is regarded as an accurate measure of the magmatic crystallization age of the albite spodumene pegmatite. Given the differences in magmatic ages and εHf(t) ranges between albite spodumene pegmatite and both the two-mica granite and the muscovite albite granite, the albite spodumene pegmatites probably represent anatectic melts and not fractionation products of either of the granitic magmas. U-Pb coltan and U-Pb cassiterite dating are more likely to provide accurate crystallization ages of albite spodumene pegmatites than U-Pb zircon ages.