The Rooiberg and Leeuwpoort tin mines, Transvaal, South Africa

The tin zone: sediment-hosted hydrothermal tin mineralization at Rooiberg, South Africa

“…It can be accepted from the observed mineral phases and chemistry that these high temperature fluids were enriched in Na, K, Sn, CO2, HzO, B (possibly A1203) and to a lesser extent, in Cu, Rb, Ba, Sr, S, C1 and F. It can be assumed that the fluids are directly or indirectly related to the surrounding Lebowa granite (Nebo granite?) suite (Strauss, 1947;Leube and Stumpfl, 1963;Phillips, 1982;Rozendaal et al, 1986), although this cannot be established with the present information. Differentiated (more evolved) phases of this suite, host similar metallization and alteration in the endo-granitic Zaaiplaats tin field suggesting that a similar fluid source for the Rooiberg manto-style deposits is likely (Taylor and Pollard, 1988;Pollard et al, 1991;McNaughton et al, 1993).…”

“…2). Subsequent publications by Leube and Stumpfl (1963), Stear (1976Stear ( , 1977, Rozendaal et al (1986) and several in-house mine reports (Roberts, 1980;Vickers and Osborne, 1981;Begley, 1983;Brown, 1984;Lomberg, 1985;Conway, 1986;Haikney, 1986) have confirmed and further evaluated this observation. The concept of a possibly laterally continuous stanniferous zone was discounted by several authors who considered mineralization as structurally controlled, producing several localized centres at approximately the same stratigraphic elevation.…”

The technology of tin smelting in the Rooiberg Valley, Limpopo Province, South Africa, ca. 1650–1850 CE

“…Iron-rich carbonates are found ubiquitously as a late stage, replacing all earlier minerals. The sequence of crystallization varied at each of the major ore deposits in the valley, but the overall genetic sequence of ore formation from older to younger is as follows: orthoclase -tourmaline (sometimes with apatite) -cassiteritepyrrhotite -quartz and pyrite -chalcopyrite -galena, sphalerite, stannite -carbonate (with or without a second generation of cassiterite) (Stumpfl, 1960;Leube and Stumpfl, 1963b;Labuschagne, 2004). Fig.…”

“…Blocks of gossan around Rooiberg township today are a light or dark brown and appear to be composed of iron oxyhydroxides with or without quartz. Both CaO and FeO could also derive from the dark red carbonates -siderite (FeCO 3 ) and ankerite (Ca (Fe, Mg, Mn)CO 3 ) -that are associated with the tin mineralization (McDonald, 1912;Stumpfl, 1960;Leube and Stumpfl, 1963b). The specific gravity of siderite and ankerite (3.7-3.9) is higher than that of tourmaline (2.9-3.2), but it is still so much lower than cassiterite (6.8-7.1) that it seems unlikely that sufficient amounts would be retained in panning to account for the iron in the slags (15-30 mass% Fe 2 O 3 ).…”

The World’s Major Types of Tin Deposit

“…16. Drawings of pockets in A 3 Rooiberg Mine (after Leube and Stumpf!, 1963) Large Replacement Bodies…”