Mustard Gold of the Gaching Ore Deposit (Maletoyvayam Ore Field, Kamchatka, Russia)

The Gaching high-sulfidation (HS) epithermal Au–Ag deposits, part of the Maletoyvayam ore field, which is located in the volcanic belts of the Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia). The main ore components are native gold, tellurides, selenides, and sulphoselenotellurides of Au and oxidation products of Au-tellurides. This study examines the different types of native gold in this ore deposit and the mechanisms and sequential transformation of calaverite (AuTe2) into mustard gold. The primary high fineness gold (964‰–978‰) intergrown with maletoyvayamite Au3Te6Se4 and other unnamed phases (AuSe, Au(Te,Se)) differ from the secondary (mustard) gold in terms of fineness (1000‰) and texture. Primary gold is homogeneous, whereas mustard is spongy. Two types of mustard gold were identified: (a) Mixtures of Fe-Sb(Te,Se,S) oxides and fine gold particles, which formed during the hypogenic transformation stage of calaverite due to the impact of hydrothermal fluids, and (b) spotted and colloform gold consisting of aggregates of gold particles in a goethite/hydrogoethite matrix. This formed during the hypergenic transformation stage. Selenides and sulphoselenotellurides of gold did not undergo oxidation. Pseudomorphic replacement of calaverite by Au-Sb(Te,Se,S,As) oxides was also observed

Gold Mineralization at the Maletoyvayam Deposit (Koryak Highland, Russia) and Physicochemical Conditions of Its Formation

Microthermometry study of fluid inclusions in quartz veins of the Maletoyvayam deposit (Koryak Highland, Russia) was carried out. This epithermal gold deposit contains unique Au compounds including maletoyvayamite, which has not been reported anywhere else. Two paragenetic mineral associations (pyrite-quartz and maletoyvayamite-quartz) with quartz of different generations corresponding to different pulses were also described. Only early generations of quartz (Q1) include ore minerals: pyrite for the first mineral assemblage, and in Au-bearing minerals, sulfosalts, bismuthinite, and others—for the second assemblage. A study on fluid inclusions in quartz showed a salinity (mainly NaCl + KCl) range from 0.2 to 4.3 wt.% NaCl eq., increasing from the first mineral association to the second due to boiling fluids. The obtained temperature variations for quartz crystallization were 295–135 °C, the fluid pressure ranged from 79 to 4 bar. On the other hand, the range of conditions obtained for the gold productive ore association is more narrow: salinity of the fluid inclusions is 4.3 wt.% NaCl eq., the temperatures vary from 255 °C to 245 °C, and the pressure from 39 to 32 bar. These physicochemical characteristics of the Maletoyvayam ore deposit greatly coincide with other HS-type epithermal deposits; however, within the Central Kamchatka Volcanic Belt it is so far the only deposit of this type reported

In-Situ Crystallization and Continuous Modification of Chromian Spinel in the "Sulfide-Poor Platinum-Group Metal Ores" of the Norilsk-1 Intrusion (Northern Siberia, Russia)

Layers rich in chromian spinel (Cr-spinel) occur in numerous differentiated and layered intrusions. These layers are often characterized by elevated and even economic concentrations of platinum-group-elements (PGEs), but only scarce sulfide mineralization. One particular type of such lithology occurs in the roof parts of the Norilsk-type differentiated intrusions (Russia) and is referred to as the "sulfide-poor PGE ores". We investigated rocks containing variable enrichments in Cr-spinel, sulfides, and platinum-group minerals (PGMs) from two sections of the upper zone of the Norilsk-1 intrusion, with a focus on Cr-spinel. The rocks are dominated by two lithological types: (1) leucogabbro/troctolitic and (2) olivine-gabbro. Fine-grained (5-100 mu m) disperse disseminations with varying modal abundances of Cr-spinel are characteristic for the rocks studied. Those abundances range from scarce mineralization through to very dense (up to 30 vol. % Cr-spinel) cloud-like accumulations. However, compact-grained accumulations and cumulate-like textures, which are typical for chromitites of layered intrusions, are not characteristic for the studied rocks. Instead, the disseminations exhibit chain- and trail-like alignments of Cr-spinel grains, which cross the boundaries between enclosing silicates, and sub-circular arrangements. The study revealed millimeter-scaled patchy distribution of Cr-spinel compositions within a given dissemination with Cr-spinel chemistry being strongly correlated with a kind of the enclosing silicate. (1) In unaltered rocks, plagioclase hosts more magnesian Cr-spinel (Mg# 30-60), while Cr-spinel in mafic minerals is less magnesian (Mg# 18-35). (2) In altered rocks, more magnesian Cr-spinel is hosted by less altered silicates, while strongly altered silicates mainly host less magnesian Cr-spinel. Systematics of trivalent cations exhibits divergent trends, even on a scale of a thin section, and depends on a kind of hosting lithology. Leucogabbro/troctolite lithologies contain Cr-spinel with anomalously low Fe(3+)and extremely high Ti contents, whereas Cr-spinel from olivine-gabbro lithologies have moderate Fe(3+)and moderately-high Ti contents. It is envisaged that crystallization of Cr-spinel and their host rocks occurred from viscous mingled magmas, which had different compositions and redox state. Subsequent processes involved (1) high-temperature re-equilibration of Cr-spinel with enclosing silicates and (2) post-magmatic alteration and partial recrystallization of Cr-spinel. During these processes, Cr-spinel was losing Mg and Al and gaining Fe and Ti. These chemical trends are generally coincident with those established for other intrusions worldwide, but the upper zone of the Norilsk-1 intrusion seems to possess an exceptional variety of Cr-spinel compositions, not recorded elsewhere.Peer reviewe