Gold mineralization of the Khaak-Sair gold-quartz ore occurrence in listwanites (western Tuva)

We consider mineral assemblages and mineralogical and geochemical peculiarities of hypogene gold from the Khaak-Sair multistage low-sulfide gold-quartz ore occurrence in listwanites. Three productive substages of Au-and Ag-mineral formation have been recognized on the basis of mineralogical studies: gold-sulfosalt-sulfide-quartz, gold-mercury-quartz, and gold-selenide-telluride-sulfide-quartz. These substages were characterized by the following sequences of mineral formation: (1) ultrahigh-fineness gold → high-fineness gold → argental gold (medium- and low-fineness gold) → electrum + Ag-bearing and argental fahlores (up to 50 wt.% Ag) ± acanthite ± hessite; (2) high-fineness gold → Hg-bearing and mercurian gold → mercurian electrum → mercurian kustelite → Au-bearing mercurian silver; and (3) high-fineness gold → mercurian gold → mercurian electrum + naumannite + Te-bearing naumannite + fischesserite + tiemannite + hessite + coloradoite + Ag-bearing minerals of the galena-clausthalite series (up to 6 wt.% Ag) ± Se-cinnabar ± Se-imiterite. Productive mineral assemblages of the ore occurrence formed in the hypabyssal facies (depth ~ 1.5 km, P ~ 0.5 kbar) on the background of a temperature decrease from 290 to 160 °C and variations in f(O2), f(S2), f(Se2), and f(Te2).