The occurrence and origin of babingtonite in the El Valle-Boinas Cu-Au deposit in Asturias, Spain

Babingtonite has been found at El Valle-Boinas Cu-Au deposit, Spain, this being the first known occurrence of this Mineral in skarn in Spain. It is a locally abundant accessory mineral related to the hydrothermal alteration of the calcic skarn. Babingtonite is present in metasomatized aplitic dykes or occurs as a consequence of alteration of Fe-rich end members of both hedenbergite and andradite and always in association with Fe-rich epidote (Ps(32-48)). Other related minerals are calcite, quartz, hydroxyapophyllite, hydroandradite, prehnite, pumpellyite-(Fe+2), Cu-sulphides and electrum. The babingtonite formation is related to the locally Al-depleted aqueous fluids at relative high fO(2) and low XCO2.