First discovery of high-mercury silver in ores of the Rogovik gold–silver deposit (Northeastern Russia)

Abstract

New data on mercurial mineralization are presented, and a detailed characteristic is given for the first discovery of mercurous silver in ores of the Rogovik gold–silver deposit (the Omsukchan trough, Northeastern Russia). It was found that native silver in the examined ores occurs as finely-dispersed inclusions in quartz filling microcracks and interstitions. It also occurs in associations with kustelite, Ag sulfosalts and selenides, selenitic acanthite, and argyrodite. The mercury admixture varies from “not detected” in the central parts of grains to 0.22–1.70 wt % along the edges, or, in independent grains, to the appearance of Ag amalgams containing 10.20–24.61 wt % of Hg. The xenomorph form of grains of 50 μm or less in size prevails. It is assumed that the appearance of mercurial mineralization is caused by the superposition of products of the young Hg-bearing Dogda–Erikit belt upon the more ancient Ag-bearing Omsukchan trough.