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Gachingite, Au(Te1–xSex) 0.2 ≈ x ≤ 0.5, a new mineral from Maletoyvayam deposit, Kamchatka peninsula, Russia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2022

Nadhezda D. Tolstykh Open the ORCID record for Nadhezda D. Tolstykh [Opens in a new window] ,
Marek Tuhý Open the ORCID record for Marek Tuhý [Opens in a new window] ,
Anna Vymazalová Open the ORCID record for Anna Vymazalová [Opens in a new window] ,
František Laufek ,
Jakub Plášil Open the ORCID record for Jakub Plášil [Opens in a new window]  and
Filip Košek
Nadhezda D. Tolstykh
Affiliation:
VS Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy of SB RAS, prosp. Akademika Koptyuga, 3, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia
Marek Tuhý*
Affiliation:
Czech Geological Survey, Geologická 6, 152 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 00 Prague
Anna Vymazalová
Affiliation:
Czech Geological Survey, Geologická 6, 152 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic
František Laufek
Affiliation:
Czech Geological Survey, Geologická 6, 152 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic
Jakub Plášil
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics ASCR, v.v.i., Na Slovance 2, 128 21 Prague 8, Czech Republic
Filip Košek
Affiliation:
Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 00 Prague
*
*Author for correspondence: Marek Tuhý, Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Gachingite, Au(Te1–xSex), 0.2 ≈ x ≤ 0.5, is a new mineral discovered in the Gaching ore occurrence of the Maletoyvayam epithermal deposit, Kamchatka, Russia. Gachingite forms individual droplet-like grains of sizes from 2 to 10 μm included in native gold (Au–Ag), associated with calaverite, maletoyvayamite, watanabeite and Au–Sb oxides. The aggregates do not exceed 100 μm in diameter. In plane-polarised light, gachingite is grey with a bluish tint, has bireflectance (bluish-grey to deep grey), and strong anisotropy with rotation tints blue to dark blue to brown. Reflectance values for gachingite in air (Rmin, Rmax in %) are: 39.9, 40.3 at 470 nm; 41.6, 43.3 at 546 nm; 42.0, 43.7 at 589 nm; and 43.0, 44.0 at 650 nm. Eighteen electron-microprobe analyses of gachingite gave an average composition: Au 62.40, Ag 0.57, Se 9.78, Te 27.33 and S 0.01, total 100.09 wt.%, corresponding to the formula (Au0.96Ag0.02)Σ0.98(Te0.65Se0.37)Σ1.02 based on 2 apfu, the simplified formula is Au(Te0.65Se0.35); the average analyses of its synthetic analogue is Au 65.7, Se 13.1 and Te 21.1, total 99.9 wt.%, corresponding to Au1.00(Te0.50Se0.50). The calculated density is 10.47 g/cm3. The mineral is orthorhombic, space group Cmce (#64) with a = 7.5379 Å, b = 5.7415 Å, c = 8.8985 Å, V = 385.12 Å3 and Z = 8. The crystal structure was solved and refined from the single-crystal X-ray-diffraction data of synthetic Au1.00(Te0.50Se0.50). The crystal structure of gachingite represents a unique structure type, containing linear [Au–Au–Au] chains running along the b-axis indicating strong metallic interaction in one direction. The structural identity of gachingite and its synthetic analogue Au1.00(Te0.50Se0.50) was confirmed by electron back-scatter diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The formation of gachingite requires an abundant source of Au and Se and a high oxidising environment. Gachingite is related to the gold-bearing productive stage of ore mineralisation, which is stable at 250°C in log$f_{{\rm S}{\rm e}_ 2}$ range of −12.4 and −5.7. The mineral is named after its type locality.

Keywords

gachingiteAu(Te1–xSex) phasereflectance datachemical compositionX-ray-diffraction datacrystal structureGachingMaletoyvayam depositKamchatkaRussia
Type
Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 86 , Issue 2 , April 2022 , pp. 205 - 213
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland

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Footnotes

Associate Editor: Irina O Galuskina

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