Unique Association of Sulphosalts from the Kľačianka Occurrence, Nízke Tatry Mts., Slovak Republic

Abstract

Unique association of sulphosalts was discovered at the Kľačianka occurrence, Nízke Tatry Mts., Slovak Republic. It is bound to thin hydrothermal veins with Sb mineralization hosted by the Variscan muscovite-biotite granodiorite and granite of Prašivá type. Ore mineralogy and crystal chemistry of ore minerals are studied here by ore microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, electron microprobe analyses, and Raman spectroscopy. The early ore mineralization composed of pyrite and arsenopyrite is hosted in quartz gangue and is followed by abundant association of sulfosalts. Stibnite, zinkenite, robinsonite (including Cu-bearing variety), jamesonite, scainiite, dadsonite, disulfodadsonite, rouxelite, chovanite, semseyite, boulangerite, geocronite, tintinaite (with low Bi contents), tetrahedrite-(Fe), tetrahedrite-(Zn), bournonite, chalcostibite, bismuthinite, and gladite in association with sphalerite and rare galena and gold are identified here. The chlorine-rich character of the described sulphosalt association is its characteristic phenomenon. It is represented not only by the occurrence of Cl-sulphosalt and dadsonite, but increased Cl contents were detected in boulangerite, chovanite, disulfodadsonite, robinsonite, rouxelite, scainiite, or tintinaite. The presence of oxygen-containing sulphosalts, such as rouxelite, scainiite and chovanite, is also interesting. The crystallization of these rare chloro-, oxy- and oxy-chloro-sulphosalts at the Kľačianka occurrence required very specific conditions (elevated O2/S2 fugacity) and high chlorine activity in ore-forming fluids.