Abstract. This is the initial paper in a pair of articles devoted to
silicate minerals from fumaroles of the Tolbachik volcano (Kamchatka,
Russia). These papers contain the first systematic data on silicate
mineralization of fumarolic genesis. In this article nesosilicates
(forsterite, andradite and titanite), cyclosilicate (a Cu,Zn-rich analogue
of roedderite), inosilicates (enstatite, clinoenstatite, diopside, aegirine, aegirine-augite, esseneite, “Cu,Mg-pyroxene”, wollastonite,
potassic-fluoro-magnesio-arfvedsonite, potassic-fluoro-richterite and
litidionite) and phyllosilicates (fluorophlogopite, yanzhuminite,
“fluoreastonite” and the Sn analogue of dalyite) are characterized with a
focus on chemistry, crystal-chemical features and occurrence. Unusual
As5+-rich varieties of forsterite, andradite, titanite, pyroxenes,
amphiboles and mica are described. General data on silicate-bearing active
fumaroles and the diversity and distribution of silicates in fumarole
deposits are reported. Evidence for the fumarolic origin of silicate
mineralization is discussed.