Occurrence of silver minerals in a silver-rich pocket in the massive sulfide zinc-lead ores in the Edwards mine, New York

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:6196106

Serviss, C R; Grout, C M; Hagni, R D

Ore microscopic examination of uncommon silver-rich ores from the Edwards mine has detected three silver minerals, native silver, freibergite, and argentite, that were previously unreported in the literature from the Balmat-Edwards district. The zinc-lead ore deposits of the Balmat-Edwards District in northern New York are composed of very coarse-grained massive sulfides, principally sphalerite, galena, and pyrite. The typical ores contain small amounts of silver in solid solution galena. Galena concentrates produced from those ores have contained an average of 15 ounces of silver per ton of 60% lead concentrates. In contrast to the typical ore a silver-rich pocket, that measured three feet by three feet on the vertical mine face and was the subject of this study, contained nearly 1% silver in a zinc ore. Ore microscopic study shows that this ore is especially characterized by abundant, relatively fine-grained chalcopyrite with anhedral pyrite inclusions. Fine-grained sphalerite, native silver, argentite, freibergite and arsenopyrite occur in association with the chalcopyrite and as fracture-fillings in gangue minerals. Geochemically anomalous amounts of tin, barium, chromium, and nickel also are present in the silver-rich pocket. The silver-rich pocket may mark the locus of an early feeder vent or alternatively it may record a hydrothermal event that was superimposed upon the event responsible for the metamorphic ore textures.

• Research Organization: Molycorp, Inc., Englewood, CO (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6196106
• Report Number(s): CONF-8510489-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 17
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580300* -- Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics-- (-1989)
580400 -- Geochemistry-- (-1989)
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHALCOPYRITE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER SULFIDES
FEDERAL REGION II
GALENA
GEOCHEMISTRY
HYDROTHERMAL SYNTHESIS
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
LEAD COMPOUNDS
LEAD ORES
LEAD SULFIDES
MINERALOGY
MINERALS
NEW YORK
NICKEL COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
ORES
PETROGRAPHY
PYRITE
SILVER COMPOUNDS
SPHALERITE
SULFIDE MINERALS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SYNTHESIS
TIN COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
USA
ZINC ORES