Grumiplucite from the Rudňany deposit, Slovakia: a second world-occurrence and new data

Abstract

Grumiplucite, ideally HgBi 2 S 4 was identified at the Droždiak vein, Rudňany deposit (Spišsko-gemerské Rudohorie Mts., Slovakia). This rare Hg-sulfosalt forms metallic lead-grey to steel-grey, prismatic to acicular crystals up to 1 cm long, often grouped into irregular aggregates. It occurs in cavities of siderite with abundant cinnabar, Hg-rich tetrahedrite and chalcopyrite aggregates. Minor quartz or barite crystals and microscopic aggregates of Sb-rich bismuthinite to Birich antimonite were also observed. On the basis of chemical analyses, two types of grumiplucite were distinguished at the Rudňany deposit. The first is close to an ideal composition and has empirical formula Hg 0.99 Bi 1.94 S 4.08 (based on 7 apfu). The second is characterized by regularly elevated contents of Sb ranging from 0.02 to 0.77 apfu. Grumiplucite is monoclinic, space group C2/m, with unit-cell parameters refined from X-ray powder data: a = 14.172(2), b = 4.0525 (7), c = 13.975(1) Å, β = 118.257 (8) o and V = 707.0(2) Å 3 (Sb-free) and a = 14.183(1), b = 4.0538(5), c = 13.980(1) Å, β = 118.239 (1) o and V = 708.1(2) Å 3 (Sb-rich). Raman spectra for grumiplucite crystals with variable Sb contents are mutually well comparable. Therefore it seems that different Sb occupation does not affect the energy and intensity of Raman bands and they significantly differ from spectra of particularly structure-related mineral livingstonite, HgSb 4 S 8 . The dominant feature in the Raman spectra of grumiplucite is a series of spectral bands that corresponds to the stretching and bending vibrations of BiS 5 polyhedra and Hg-S bonds. Received: 23 July, 2015; accepted: 1 December, 2015; handling editor: F. Laufek 2013). This paper is focused on detailed mineralogical characterization of grumiplucite and associated minerals from the Rudňany deposit, Spišsko-gemerské Rudohorie Mts., Slovakia, which is a second world occurrence of this Hg-sulfosalt. We present here new wavelength-dispersive electron probe microanalyses, X-ray powder diffraction and Raman data for this very rare mineral phase. Keywords: grumiplucite, sulfosalts, X-ray powder data, chemical composition, Raman spectroscopy, Rudňany deposit Geological settingThe Rudňany deposit (or Rudňany ore field) is located c. 11 km SE of Spišská Nová Ves town in the northern part of Gemeric Superunit, Spišsko-gemerské Rudohorie Mts., Slovakia (Fig. 2); GPS coordinates of the Západ shaft are: 48°52'47.79"N and 20°39'29.98"E. It was one of the most important mining centers as well as the largest siderite-type (Fe-Ba-Cu-Hg) deposits in Slovakia, mined already in prehistoric times. Most of the mining activity ceased there in 1993; only minor mining of barite still continues at the Poráč shaft area to the present day.Hydrothermal siderite-quartz ± barite veins, sometimes with abundant sulfidic mineralization, strike W-E

Boudinage arrangement tracking of hydrothermal veins in the shear zone: example from the argentiferous Strieborna vein (Western Carpathians)

“…In contrast, a low Bi content in tetrahedrite is a typical feature of the Gemeric belt (e.g. Pršek and Biroň 2007;Števko et al 2015). We would like to remind that both sulphosalts associations, together with Sbstibnite (see Fig.…”

Geochemistry of tetrahedrite group minerals and associated silver paragenesis in the Boguszów baryte deposit, Poland

“…Ag-Hg rich tetrahedrite (Hg: 1.82-1.86 apfu; Ag: 2.88-3.13 apfu -based on 16 cat ions) is as so ci ated with the py rite-cinna bar stage and forms rims around cin na bar ag gre gates. Mercury-dom i nant tetrahedrite group min er als (Biagioni et al, 2020a) are com mon in the min er al iza tion rich in mer cury and have been re ported from many lo cal i ties (e.g., Mozgova et al, 1979;Arlt and Di a mond, 1998;Foit and Ulbricht, 2001;Karanoviae et al, 2003;Krismer et al, 2011;Velebil, 2014;Števko et al, 2015;Biagioni et al, 2020b). Tetrahedrite enriched in Hg is gen er ally Ag-free or Ag-low and it is as so ci ated with Cu, Hg, As, Sb, Bi min er als in quartz or quartz-car bonate-baryte veins as re ported world wide.…”

New data on sulphosalts from hydrothermal siderite-type veins in the Spišsko-gemerské rudohorie Mts. (eastern Slovakia): 1. Nuffieldite and aikinite from Slovinky-Došťavná vein

“…Abundant presence of minerals of tetrahedritetennantite series (especially Fe, Zn and locally also Hg dominant members) is very typical feature of the siderite -type veins (e.g. Bernard 1958Bernard , 1961Varček 1957Varček , 1959Varček , 1960Novák 1959Novák , 1967Trdlička 1967;Háber 1980;Cambel et al 1985;Peterec 1990;Miškovic 1991;Háber et al 1993;Grecula et al 1995;Antal 2002a, b;Pršek 2008;Pršek, Biroň 2007;Pršek, Lauko 2009;Števko et al 2015;Mikuš et al 2018;Števko, Sejkora 2020). Bi sulphosalts are also quite common, especially minerals of bismuthinite-aikinite series (e.g.…”

“…Bi sulphosalts are also quite common, especially minerals of bismuthinite-aikinite series (e.g. Paděra et al 1955;Kupčík et al 1969;Hurný, Krištín 1978;Mumme, Žák 1983;Antal 1991;Beňka, Siman 1994;Pršek 2008;Števko et al 2015;Mikuš et al 2018Mikuš et al , 2019 and kobellite homologous series (e.g. Trdlička, Kupka 1957;Hak, Kupka 1958;Novák 1961;Trdlička et al 1962;Václav 1964;Zábranský, Radzo 1966;Háber, Streško 1969;Háber 1980;Jeleň 1991;Pršek 2008;Pršek, Peterec 2008;Mikuš et al 2018Mikuš et al , 2019.…”