FERRIC-IRON-RICH TOURMALINE FROM THE DARASUN GOLD DEPOSIT, TRANSBAIKALIA, RUSSIA

We have studied tourmaline of the schorl - dravite - povondraite series in a sample from the Darasun porphyry-style gold deposit, Chita region, Transbaikalia, Russia. A combination of analytical procedures has been used to determine composition in terms of major elements (electron microprobe), Fe(2+) and Fe(3+) (Mossbauer spectroscopy), the probable position of Fe(3+) in the Fe-rich core of a separated grain (FTIR), the Li content (ICP-MS), and conditions of formation (fluid inclusions in coeval quartz). A significant amount of Fe(3+) has been directly determined by Mossbauer spectroscopy (83% of iron is Fe3+ over the averaged sample). The evolution of chemical composition of the tourmalines studied here can be generalized in the following model. The first generation of low-Al and high-Fe "oxy-dravite" - povondraite (Al similar to 3, Fe similar to 4, Ca similar to 0.2,. square < 0.1 apfu) is followed by a second generation of higher-Al and lower-Fe "oxy-dravite" (Al similar to 6, Fe similar to 1.5, Ca similar to 0.1,square similar to 0.2 apfu), and the third generation consists of dravite having the highest Al and the lowest Fe contents (Al > 6, Fe < 0.5, Ca similar to 0.1,. square similar to 0.1 apfu). Depletion of the second and third generations in Fe is caused by deposition of early sulfides. The evolution in chemical composition of the tourmalines studied here is different from that of redeposited tourmalinites in Western Carpathians, where tourmaline evolves from schorl-dravite to povondraite. The chemical composition of the Darasun tourmalines is different from Fe(3+)-rich tourmalines from evaporite formations in low K, and is similar in Mg content. At the same time, the major type of homovalent substitution (AlFe(-1)) in the tourmalines examined is similar to that in tourmalines from Sn- and Cu-porphyry deposits, and may be accepted as a prospecting guide for the porphyry-style deposits. This finding of povondraite is the third in the world and the first in hydrothermal gold deposit. The fluid inclusions in the associated quartz indicate that that first-stage tourmaline precipitated from boiling fluid at low pressure. Boiling favored the increasing oxygen activity, and resulted in the increase of Fe(3+) in that tourmaline.