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Native Gold as a Specific Indicator Mineral for Gold Deposits,...
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Native Gold as a Specific Indicator Mineral for Gold Deposits, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Deposits".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 9916

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Galina Palyanova

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Guest Editor
1. Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
2. Department of Geology and Geophysics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
Interests: ore-forming processes; experiment; thermodynamic modeling; minerals-indicators; fluid−mineral−rock interactions; gold mineralization; gold deposits; mechanisms of ore formation; reconstruction of T,P,X-conditions
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite you to contribute papers to our Special Issue entitled “Native Gold as a Specific Indicator Mineral for Gold Deposits, 2nd Edition”.

Native gold is the most common and significant industrial gold mineral. The widespread isomorphic impurity elements in gold are Ag, Cu, Hg, and Pd. Findings of native gold with Pt and Ni impurities and other elements have been reported. Native gold often contains microinclusions of ore minerals, silicates, oxides, carbonates, etc. Over the last few years, special attention has been paid to the study of the impurities and minerals in association with native gold since these characteristics are important informative signs of deposits with different types of mineralization. The chemical compositions of native gold and its associated minerals are the most important typomorphic features, as they allow for the prediction of the possible sources of metal for placers. The set and quantity of impurities in native gold vary greatly between different types of deposits and largely depend on the physicochemical conditions of their formation and the metallogenic features of gold-bearing provinces. It is also important to analyze changes in the compositions of native gold and its associated minerals in hypergene conditions during the formation of weathering crusts and placers. The concentration levels and ratios of various elements in gold grains can provide a geochemical history of ore-forming events. Papers reporting analytical results pertaining to native gold obtained via electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) are welcome. Experimental and theoretical studies of binary, ternary, and more complex phase systems with gold, revealing the existence of solid solutions and intermetallic compounds, would also be significant and valuable contributions to this Special Issue.

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore the reasons behind the variation in the chemical and mineralogical characteristics of native gold and to develop an effective criteria for forecasting and searching for gold deposits.

Dr. Galina Palyanova
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • isomorphic impurities in native gold
  • fineness
  • heterogeneity
  • proto-, syn- and epigenetic minerals of native gold
  • LA-ICP-MS
  • EPMA
  • phase diagrams Au-element(s)
  • gold deposit types
  • criteria for forecasting and searching for gold deposits

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 9430 KiB  
Article
Pyrite Textures, Trace Element Geochemistry and Galena Pb Isotopes of the Yanzhupo Gold Deposit in the Jiangnan Orogen, South China: Implications for Gold Mineralization Genesis
by Jia Liao, Xu Wang, Biao Chen, Buqing Wang, Zhenhua Zhu, Wentao Wang, Ding Peng, Qian Zhang, Zhuang Liu and Qiangqiang Xu
Minerals 2025, 15(1), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15010094 - 20 Jan 2025
Viewed by 632
Abstract
The northeastern Hunan district in the Jiangnan Orogen (South China) holds significant gold resources, whose genesis remains perplexing, especially in terms of the gold source and mineralization process. Yanzhupo (2.50 t @ 2.52 g/t) is a newly discovered gold deposit in the northeastern [...] Read more.
The northeastern Hunan district in the Jiangnan Orogen (South China) holds significant gold resources, whose genesis remains perplexing, especially in terms of the gold source and mineralization process. Yanzhupo (2.50 t @ 2.52 g/t) is a newly discovered gold deposit in the northeastern Hunan district and is characterized by multiple generations of pyrite. Its alteration/mineralization can be divided into three stages: (I) quartz-ankerite-pyrite; (II) quartz-ankerite-chlorite-pyrite-gold; (III) quartz-ankerite-calcite-pyrite. Petrographic observations and back-scattered electron (BSE) imaging revealed six generations of pyrite: Cu-Au rich bright rims (Py1a) and porous cores (Py1b) in Stage I, Py2a with homogenous textures, Py2b with oscillatory zoning and Py2c with homogenous textures in Stage II and Py3 with homogenous textures in Stage III. Galena Pb isotopes, similar to the Wangu deposit, and pyrite chemical compositions show that the ore-forming materials of Yanzhupo came from deep magma, and some metal elements may be extracted from deep basement by fluid-mineral interactions during the upward migration of hydrothermal-magmatic fluid. The positive correlation between Cu and Au in pyrite reflects the oxidized ore-forming fluids. The enrichment of Cu and Au in Py1a reflects the precipitation of pyrite under high temperature fluid, forming the primary enrichment of Au. Porous Py1b is characterized by lower trace elements than Py1a, sharp reaction front and rich chalcopyrite and galena inclusions, indicating Py1b formed via coupled dissolution-reprecipitation (CDR) reactions of Py1a. The CDR reactions promoted by the oxidizing fluid itself re-release Au into the fluid. From Py2a to Py2c, the contents of As, Sb and Pb first increased and then decreased, which may reflect the increase of fluid pH caused by sulfidation of the wall rocks and the impoverishment of ore-forming fluids caused by the precipitation of a large number of elements. The sulfidation of the wall rocks in Stage II destroyed the stability of the Au(HS)2− and Au (HS)S3− complexes and led to the deposition of native gold. The barren ore-forming fluids precipitated homogenous Py3 in a stable environment. Therefore, we think that the Yanzhupo gold deposit may have been associated with magmatic-hydrothermal activity, and the mineralization mechanism may be CDR reactions and sulfidation of the wall rocks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Native Gold as a Specific Indicator Mineral for Gold Deposits, 2nd Edition)
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22 pages, 9320 KiB  
Article
Targeting High-Grade Mineralization via a Synthesis of Compositional Profiles of Alluvial Gold with Structural and Paragenetic Models
by Robert John Chapman, Taija Marianne Torvela, Carl Peter Spence-Jones, Richard David Walshaw and Graham William McLeod
Minerals 2024, 14(12), 1236; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14121236 - 4 Dec 2024
Viewed by 763
Abstract
Gold compositional studies have been advocated to resolve genetic relationships between alluvial and in situ occurrences based on the assumption that the P-T-X conditions at the sites of mineral deposition are reflected in common compositional signatures of gold. Here, we explore two refinements [...] Read more.
Gold compositional studies have been advocated to resolve genetic relationships between alluvial and in situ occurrences based on the assumption that the P-T-X conditions at the sites of mineral deposition are reflected in common compositional signatures of gold. Here, we explore two refinements to a simple ‘same or different’ approach, namely (i) in situ gold sources at different localities may correspond to multiple stages of mineralization and, therefore, different gold grade, and (ii) any duplication of gold signatures between localities requires fluid conduits compatible with the prevailing structural framework. The high-grade gold paragenetic stage at the Cononish Mine, Scotland, is characterized by relatively low Ag alloy associated with Ag-Au and Ag tellurides. This signature is replicated in the inclusion signature of alluvial gold from the adjacent drainage and is also present in two other drainages for which there are no known in situ sources. There is a strong correlation between the spatial extent of this signature and the fault linkage zone, but outside this zone, gold exhibits other compositional signatures. The study shows how structural considerations provide an independent and robust framework to evaluate genetic relationships suggested by compositional studies of alluvial gold in areas where the source location and economic potential are unknown. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Native Gold as a Specific Indicator Mineral for Gold Deposits, 2nd Edition)
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11 pages, 4063 KiB  
Article
Transport of Au–Ag Nanoparticles in Dense Carbon Dioxide Fluid of the Middle Crust
by Vsevolod Yu. Prokofiev, David A. Banks, Konstantin V. Lobanov, Sofiya L. Selektor, Valentin A. Milichko, Andrey A. Borovikov and Mikhail V. Chicherov
Minerals 2024, 14(12), 1224; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14121224 - 30 Nov 2024
Viewed by 731
Abstract
Individual fluid inclusions with dense carbon dioxide hosted in quartz from the gold-bearing interval penetrated by the SD-3 Kola Superdeep Borehole were studied using modern techniques. The composition and density of the carbon dioxide fluid were determined by Raman spectroscopy and microthermometry. The [...] Read more.
Individual fluid inclusions with dense carbon dioxide hosted in quartz from the gold-bearing interval penetrated by the SD-3 Kola Superdeep Borehole were studied using modern techniques. The composition and density of the carbon dioxide fluid were determined by Raman spectroscopy and microthermometry. The density of the fluid is 0.37–1.14 g/cm3 and contains minor admixtures of nitrogen (0.3–1.8 mol %) and water (0.1–0.4 mol %). LA-ICP-MS data indicate that the carbon dioxide fluid inclusions contain high concentrations of Au (1–2611 ppm) and Ag (1–4389 ppm), and high-precision optical data indicate that the high-density CO2 fluid of the inclusions contains Au–Ag nanoparticles. Evidently, gold and silver were transported from the Earth’s mantle to the crust by high-density carbon dioxide fluid in the form of nanoparticles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Native Gold as a Specific Indicator Mineral for Gold Deposits, 2nd Edition)
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25 pages, 50215 KiB  
Article
Source of Ore-Forming Fluids and Ore Genesis of the Batailing Au Deposit, Central Jilin Province, Northeast China: Constraints from Fluid Inclusions and H-O-C-S-Pb Isotopes
by Haoming Li, Keyong Wang, Xiangjin Yan, Qingying Zhao and Lixue Sun
Minerals 2024, 14(10), 1028; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14101028 - 14 Oct 2024
Viewed by 798
Abstract
The Batailing Au deposit is a vein-type deposit in central Jilin Province, situated in the southern sector of the Lesser Xing’an–Zhangguangcai Range within the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt. NE-trending fault-controlled orebodies occur in the Upper Permian Yangjiagou Formation and quartz diorite–porphyrite. The [...] Read more.
The Batailing Au deposit is a vein-type deposit in central Jilin Province, situated in the southern sector of the Lesser Xing’an–Zhangguangcai Range within the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt. NE-trending fault-controlled orebodies occur in the Upper Permian Yangjiagou Formation and quartz diorite–porphyrite. The mineralisation process was delineated into three stages: (I) quartz–arsenopyrite–pyrite, (II) quartz–polymetallic sulphides (main Au mineralisation stage), and (III) quartz–pyrite–carbonate. Fluid inclusions (FIs) in quartz were identified as four types: PC-type (pure CO2), C1-type (CO2-bearing), C2-type (CO2-rich), and W-type (aqueous two-phase). Raman spectroscopy analysis revealed that the vapor components of the FIs predominantly comprised CO2 with minor quantities of CH4 in stages I–II. Stages I and II encompassed four types of FIs with homogenisation temperature ranging from 264 to 332 °C and 213 to 292 °C and salinity spanning from 4.7 to 11.2 wt% and 1.8 to 11.6 wt%, respectively. Stage III exclusively contained W-type FIs with homogenisation temperature ranging from 152 to 215 °C and salinity spanning from 1.4 to 6.4 wt%. H-O isotopic values (δD = −84 to −79.6‰, δ18OH2O = 6.2 to 6.4‰ in stage I and δD = −96.4 to −90.4‰, δ18OH2O = 2.8 to 4.4‰ in stage II) and microthermometric data indicated that the ore-forming fluids are initially from a magmatic source, with later meteoric water input. Low C isotopic data from CO2 in FIs in quartz (−24.4 to −24.3‰ in stage I and −23.7 to −22.6‰ in stage II) indicated an organic carbon source. Ore precipitation is mainly attributable to fluid immiscibility. S-Pb isotopic data (δ34S = −3.5 to −1.6‰; 206Pb/204Pb = 18.325–18.362, 207Pb/204Pb = 15.523–5.562, 208Pb/204Pb = 38.064–38.221) revealed that ore metals primarily originated from magma. Based on this research, the origin of the Batailing Au deposit is of the mesothermal magmatic–hydrothermal lode type. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Native Gold as a Specific Indicator Mineral for Gold Deposits, 2nd Edition)
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21 pages, 4180 KiB  
Article
Mineralogical Method as an Effective Way to Predict Gold Ore Types of Deposits in Platform Areas (East of the Siberian Platform)
by Zinaida Nikiforova
Minerals 2024, 14(6), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14060631 - 20 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1140
Abstract
The study of the mineralogical and geochemical features of placer gold and the mechanisms of its distribution in the territory east of the Siberian platform, overlain by a thick cover of Mesozoic–Cenozoic deposits, where traditional methods of searching for gold fields are not [...] Read more.
The study of the mineralogical and geochemical features of placer gold and the mechanisms of its distribution in the territory east of the Siberian platform, overlain by a thick cover of Mesozoic–Cenozoic deposits, where traditional methods of searching for gold fields are not effective, allowed researchers, for the first time, to establish the stages of ore formation and to predict the types of gold deposits and their location. The identified indicators of placer gold (morphology, granulometry, chemical composition, micro-inclusions, and internal structures) indicate that ore occurrences in both the Precambrian and Mesozoic stages of ore formation were primary sources of placer gold. The identification of characteristic indicators in placer gold for certain types of gold deposits allowed researchers to prove the formation of gold ore sources east of the Siberian platform for the first time: low-sulfide quartz gold, gold–ferruginous quartzite, gold–copper–porphyry, and gold–platinoid formations are found in the Precambrian stage of ore formation and gold–silver, gold–sulfide–quartz, and gold–rare metal formations are found in the Mesozoic stages of ore formation. Thus, for the first time, based on a huge amount of factual material, it is proved that the mineralogical and geochemical features of placer gold carry enormous information about both the endogenous origin of gold (stages of ore formation—Precambrian and Mesozoic) and the expected type of formation of the predicted deposits. It is established that the predicted type of ore sources corresponds to a certain geological and structural position; this contributes to a more correct selection of methods for searching for ore and placer gold deposits in closed territories and assessing their prospects. In general, the application of the mineralogical method for the first time makes it possible to develop criteria for predicting resources and types of gold deposits, and to assess the prospects of gold mining potential in platform areas at a new level of knowledge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Native Gold as a Specific Indicator Mineral for Gold Deposits, 2nd Edition)
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24 pages, 66960 KiB  
Article
Morphostructural, Chemical and Genetic Features of Native Gold in Brown Coals from the Yerkovetsky Deposit, Far East Russia
by Veronika I. Rozhdestvina and Galina A. Palyanova
Minerals 2024, 14(5), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050503 - 10 May 2024
Viewed by 1244
Abstract
We studied the morphostructural features and chemical composition of micron and submicron particles of native gold from brown coals and overcoal sediments of the Yerkovetsky deposit (Zeya-Bureya sedimentary basin, Far East Russia). The samples of coal and host rocks in the form of [...] Read more.
We studied the morphostructural features and chemical composition of micron and submicron particles of native gold from brown coals and overcoal sediments of the Yerkovetsky deposit (Zeya-Bureya sedimentary basin, Far East Russia). The samples of coal and host rocks in the form of thin sections, as well as coal particles and grains of native gold obtained during the process of dispersion and the fractionation of loose and crushed samples divided according to size and density, were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy in combination with X-ray microanalysis, involving various visualization modes. It was revealed that native gold is syngenetic with the mineralization of brown coals, and microphases dispersed in the minerals of overcoal loose and sandy-clay sediments were the source of native gold. In coal, gold is accumulated at the stages of formation (alluvial and eolian, including terrigenous and ionogenic subtypes) and the diagenesis of coal deposits (ground-infiltration subtype). A significant part of the mineralization process of coals and the formation of microparticles of native gold was contributed to by the descending water infiltration of polycomponent colloid solutions. During the dehydration of hydroxysiliconized iron-based hydrogels, mineral phases have an unstable composition and floccular structure and contain submicron gold particles. The coatings of all gold microparticles have identical origin and composition. Coal beds that border host rocks are an open system with a constant inflow of the substance, which leads to the gradual formation of polycomponent aggregated particles in micro cavities. Part of the gold in coals occurs as sulfur-bearing complexes dissolved in pore water. The key factor in the migration and deposition of gold in coals is the inorganic substances involved in the processes of coal mineralization. Organic substances play a more passive role and have medium-forming, fractionating (colloid, molecular, and ionic sieves), and accumulation functions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Native Gold as a Specific Indicator Mineral for Gold Deposits, 2nd Edition)
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29 pages, 26294 KiB  
Article
Minerals of the Au-Cu-Ag System in Grains from the Placers of the Olkhovaya-1 River (Eastern Kamchatka, Russia)
by Galina A. Palyanova, Tatiana V. Beliaeva, Dmitry P. Savelyev and Yurii V. Seryotkin
Minerals 2024, 14(5), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050448 - 24 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1197
Abstract
Heterogeneous grains in the heavy fractions of the placers of the Olkhovaya-1 river (Kamchatka Cape Peninsula, Eastern Kamchatka, Russia) containing Au-Ag, Au-Cu, and Au-Ag-Cu particles were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, electron-probe microanalysis, and X-ray powder diffractometry. The analyses showed that auricupride dominates [...] Read more.
Heterogeneous grains in the heavy fractions of the placers of the Olkhovaya-1 river (Kamchatka Cape Peninsula, Eastern Kamchatka, Russia) containing Au-Ag, Au-Cu, and Au-Ag-Cu particles were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, electron-probe microanalysis, and X-ray powder diffractometry. The analyses showed that auricupride dominates in some grains, whereas in others, the main phases are tetra-auricupride or Ag-rich and (or) Au-rich alloys. It was revealed that in the central parts of some grains of exsolution structures, auricupride Cu3.04–2.74Au0.96–1.26 (Ag < 1 wt.%) occurs in intergrowths with low-fineness Ag0.86–0.67Au0.09–0.33Cu<0.05 solid solutions (160‰–480‰), and tetra-auricupride Cu1.12–0.87Au0.88–1.11Ag<0.02 (Ag < 2 wt.%) occurs with higher-fineness Au0.73–0.62Ag0.2–0.38Cu<0.07 solid solutions (520‰–850‰). We also observed, mainly in the peripheral parts of the grains, insignificant amounts of secondary phases that were compositionally similar to Cu2Au, Cu3Au2, Au3Cu2, Au2Cu, Au3Cu, high-fineness gold with impurities of Cu and occasionally Ag (>850‰), and pure gold. In intergrowths with auricupride and tetra-auricupride, we also observed earlier-formed silicates (garnet, pyroxene, chlorite, epidote, titanite), syngenetic sulfides (pyrrhotite, bornite, galena), and later minerals (chalcocite, covellite, anilite, cuprite, goethite, etc.). The XRD analysis of the peripheral parts of some grains showed the presence of auricupride (Cu3Au), tetra-auricupride CuAu (I) and Cu(Au0.92Ag0.08) (II), and gold. The profiles show the absence of peaks of the Au3Cu phase and other Au-Ag-Cu phases identified by the EMPA, which is likely due to their low concentrations in the samples or their structural similarity to gold. It is assumed that the probable source of Au-Ag-Cu mineralization in the Olkhovaya-1 river placers is located in the upper reaches of watercourses that erode the ultrabasic massif of Mounts Soldatskaya and Golaya (Kamchatka Cape Peninsula). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Native Gold as a Specific Indicator Mineral for Gold Deposits, 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 12062 KiB  
Article
Montbrayite from the Svetlinsk Gold–Telluride Deposit (South Urals, Russia): Composition Variability and Decomposition
by Olga V. Vikent’eva, Vladimir V. Shilovskikh, Vasily D. Shcherbakov, Tatyana N. Moroz, Ilya V. Vikentyev and Nikolay S. Bortnikov
Minerals 2023, 13(9), 1225; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13091225 - 18 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1510
Abstract
A rare gold–telluride montbrayite from the large Svetlinsk gold–telluride deposit (South Urals, Russia) was comprehensively studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, reflectance measurements, electron backscatter diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Significant variations in the composition of the mineral were revealed [...] Read more.
A rare gold–telluride montbrayite from the large Svetlinsk gold–telluride deposit (South Urals, Russia) was comprehensively studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, reflectance measurements, electron backscatter diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Significant variations in the composition of the mineral were revealed (in wt%): Au 36.98–48.66, Te 43.35–56.53, Sb 2.49–8.10, Ag up to 4.56, Pb up to 2.04, Bi up to 0.33, Cu up to 1.42. There are two distinct groups with much more-limited variation within the observed compositional interval (in wt%): (1) Au 36.98–41.22, Te 49.35–56.53, Sb 2.49–5.57; (2) Au 47.86–48.66, Te 43.35–44.92, Sb 7.15–8.10. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of 61 apfu is Au16.43–23.28Sb1.79–6.09Te32.01–38.89Ag0–3.69Bi0–0.14Pb0–0.90Cu0–1.96. Two substitution mechanisms for antimony are proposed in the studied montbrayite grains: Sb→Au (2.5–5.6 wt% Sb) and Sb→Te (7–8 wt% Sb). The dependence of the reflection spectra and Raman spectra on the antimony content and its substitution mechanism, respectively, was found in the mineral. The slope of the reflectance spectra decreases and the curve in the blue–green region of the spectrum disappears with increasing Sb content in montbrayite. Raman spectra are reported for the first time for this mineral. The average positions of the peak with high-intensity are ~64 cm−1 and ~90 cm−1 for montbrayite with Sb→Te and Sb→Au, respectively. Two grains of montbrayite demonstrate decomposition according to two schemes: (1) montbrayite (7 wt% Sb) → native gold + calaverite ± altaite, and (2) montbrayite (5 wt% Sb) → native gold + tellurantimony ± altaite. A combination of melting and dissolution–precipitation processes may be responsible for the formation of these decomposition textures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Native Gold as a Specific Indicator Mineral for Gold Deposits, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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44 pages, 42509 KiB  
Review
Gold and Platinum Group Element Occurrence Related to Black Shale Formations in the Southern Urals (Russia): A Review
by Alexander V. Snachev and Mikhail A. Rassomakhin
Minerals 2024, 14(12), 1283; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14121283 - 17 Dec 2024
Viewed by 752
Abstract
This paper gives a brief description of all structural–formational zones in the Southern Urals. Riphean and Paleozoic black shale sediments with strong positive anomalies of gold and a number of other elements are widely developed within this region. This paper reports that carbonaceous [...] Read more.
This paper gives a brief description of all structural–formational zones in the Southern Urals. Riphean and Paleozoic black shale sediments with strong positive anomalies of gold and a number of other elements are widely developed within this region. This paper reports that carbonaceous shales are a very favorable geochemical environment for the primary accumulation of many industrially important elements. Under certain conditions (in the areas of magmatism, zonal metamorphism, and tectonic activity), they can serve as a source of metals and concentrate deposits, and occurrences of gold, silver, and platinoids. Among these deposits, a new type of vein-embedded gold–sulfide mineralization with dispersed gold and platinum metals, localized in rocks rich in organic carbon, has been detected. In this study, we made an attempt to summarize and systematize research materials on this issue. The presented data indicate a high potential of carbonaceous sediments in the Southern Urals, providing a good basis for further prospecting works and analytical studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Native Gold as a Specific Indicator Mineral for Gold Deposits, 2nd Edition)
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