Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-n9wrp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-22T13:19:36.290Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Precious and base metal selenide mineralization at Hope's Nose, Torquay, Devon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

C. J. Stanley ,
A. J. Criddle  and
D. Lloyd
C. J. Stanley
Affiliation:
Department of Mineralogy, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD
A. J. Criddle
Affiliation:
Department of Mineralogy, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD
D. Lloyd
Affiliation:
Ashburton, Devon
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Precious and base metal selenide minerals have been identified in gold-bearing carbonate veins cutting Middle Devonian limestones of the Torquay Limestone Group at Hope's Nose, Torquay. The selenide assemblage consists of clausthalite (PbSe), tiemannite (HgSe), klockmannite (CuSe), umangite (Cu3Se2), tyrrellite (Cu,Co,Ni)3Se4, trustedtite (Ni3Se4), penroseite (NiSe2), naumannite (Ag2Se), eucairite (AgCuSe) and fischesserite (Ag3AuSe2), only clausthalite having previously been reported from Britain. They are associated with palladian gold, gold, hematite, and accessory pyrite and chalcopyrite in a gangue consisting predominantly of calcite; alteration products include cerussite, malachite, aragonite and goethite.

The relative abundance of Au, Ag, Hg and Se is a characteristic feature in the uppermost parts of some precious metal ‘epithermal’ systems. The occurrence at Hope's Nose is related to both structural and lithological factors: a deep-seated NW-SE structural lineament, the Lundy-Sticklepath-Lustleigh-Torquay fault; local thrusting, and to an association of basic-intermediate igneous rocks with a sedimentary sequence including carbonaceous shales and limestones. The mineralization is considered to be post-Variscan, probably Permo-Triassic in age.

Keywords

selenidesgoldHope's NoseDevon, U.K.
Type
Ore Mineralogy
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 54 , Issue 376 , September 1990 , pp. 485 - 493
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ahlfeld, F. (1954) Las especies minerales de Bolivia, 3rd ed. Bilbao, Banco Minero de Bolivia.Google Scholar
Alderton, D. H. M. (1975) Fluid inclusion studies in SW England. Proc. Ussher. Soc. 3, 214-7. Google Scholar
Ball, T. K., Basham, I. R. and Michie, U. McL. (1979) Uraniferous vein occurrences of South West England- Paragenesis and genesis. [Unpubl. Open file Report no. 337, 48 pp. Institute of Geological Sciences.]Google Scholar
Busz, K. H. E. G. (1896) Ueber einige Eruptivgesteine aus Devonshire in England. Neues Jahrb. Mineral. Bd 1, 57-78.Google Scholar
Chandler, C. and Isaac, K. P. (1982) The geological setting, geochemistry and significance of L. Carboniferous basic volcanic rocks in Central South-west England. Proc. Ussher. Soc. 5, 279-88.Google Scholar
Clark, A. M. and Criddle, A. J. (1982) Palladium minerals from Hope's Nose, Torquay, Devon. Mineral. Mag. 46, 371-7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coward, M. P. and McClay, K. R. (1983) Thrust tectonics of S. Devon. J. Geol. Soc. London, 140, 215-38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Criddle, A. J. and Stanley, C. J. (eds) (1986) The Quantitative Data File for Ore Minerals. 471 pp. British Museum (Natural History) and International Mineralogical Association.Google Scholar
Darbyshire, D. P. F. and Shepherd, T. J. (1985) Chronology of granite magmatism and associated mineralization, SW England. J. Geol. Soc. London, 142, 1159-77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Darnley, A. G., English, T. H., Sprake, O., Preele, E. R. and Avery, D. (1965) Ages of uraninite and coffinite from southwest England. Mineral. Mag. 34, 159-76.Google Scholar
De La Beche, H. T. (1839) Report on the geology of Cornwall, Devon and West Somerset. Mere. Geol. Surv. London. 648 pp.Google Scholar
Dunn, P. J., Peacor, D. R., Criddle, A. J. and Finkelman, R. B. (1986) Laphamite, an arsenic selenide analogue of orpiment from burning anthracite deposits in Pennsylvania. Mineral. Mag. 50, 279-82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ferguson, H. G. (1929) The mining districts of Nevada. Econ. Geol. 24, 131-41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodger, K. B., Buglass, A. and Scrutton, C. T. (1984) Sequence of coralline faunas and depositional environments in the Middle Devonian Daddyhole Limestone formation stratotype section, Torquay, Devon. Proc. Ussher. Soc. 6, 13-24.Google Scholar
Gordon, W. T. (1922) Native gold at Torquay, Devonshire. Nature, 109, 583.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grundmann, G., Lehrberger, G. and Schnorrer-Köhler, G. (1990) The E1 Dragon mine, Potosi, Bolivia. Mineral. Record, 21, 133-46.Google Scholar
Harrison, R. K. (1975) Concretionary concentrations of the rare elements in Permo-Triassic red beds of south-west England. Bulletin Geol. Surv. G.B. 52, 1-26.Google Scholar
Kucha, H. (1982) Platinum-group metals in the Zeehstein copper deposits, Poland. Econ. Geol. 77, 1578-91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leake, R. C., Brown, M. J., Smith, K., Rollin, K. E., Kimbell, G. S., Cameron, D. E., Roberts, P. D. and Beddoe-Stephens, B. W. (1985) Volcangenic and exhalative minerahzation within Devonian rocks of the South Hams district of Devon. Min. Rec. Prog. Rep. No. 79, British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Leake, R. C., Cameron, D. G, Bland, D. J., Styles, M. T. and Rollin, K. E. (1988) Exploration for gold between Hams district of Devon. Ibid. No. 98. British Geological Survey.Google Scholar
Lindgren, W. (1928) Mineral Deposits, 3rd ed. McGraw Hill, New York. 1049 pp.Google Scholar
Mountain, B. W. and Wood, S. A. (1988) Chemical controls on the solubility, transport, and deposition of platinum and palladium in hydrothermal solutions: A thermodynamic approach. Econ. Geol. 83, 492-510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nolan, T. B. (1933) Epithermal precious-metal deposits in ore deposits of the Western States. Amer. Inst. Min. Metall. Engineers, New York, 623-40.Google Scholar
Ramdohr, P. (1932) Die Goldlager St∼itte des Eisenbergs bei Corbaeh. Abh. z. prakt. Geol. und Bergwirtschafislehre, 21, 1-39.Google Scholar
Russell, A. (1929) On the occurrence of native gold at Hope's Nose, Torquay, Devonshire. Mineral. Mag. 22, 159-62.Google Scholar
Scrivener, R. C., Cooper, B. V., George, M. C. and Shepherd, T. J. (1982) Gold-bearing carbonate veins in the Middle Devonian Limestone of Hope's Nose, Torquay. Proc. Ussher. Soc. 5, 393.Google Scholar
Scrivener, R. C. et al. (1989) Terra Abstracts. Google Scholar
Scrutton, C. T. (1978) Eastern South Devon. In A field guide to selected areas of the Devonian of south-west England (Scrutton, C. T., ed.). International Symposium on the Devonian System (P.A.D.S. 1978). The Palaeontological Association, London.Google Scholar
Shepherd, T. J. and Scrivener, R. C. (1987) Role of basinal brines in the genesis of polymetallic vein deposits, Kit Hill-Gunnislake area, SW England. Proc. Ussher. Soc. 6, 491-7.Google Scholar
Sindeeva, N. D. (1964) Mineralogy and types of deposits of selenium and tellurium. Interscience, New York. 363 pp.Google Scholar
Stanley, C. J., Halls, C., Camm, G. S. and James, J. (1990) Gold-antimony mineralization at Loddiswell, Devon, UK. Terra Nova, 2, 224-31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tischendorf, G. (1959) Formation of selenium enrichments in deposits in German. Neue Huette, 4, 19-21.Google Scholar
Tischendorf, G. (1968) Sources of elements in selenide mineralization near Tilkerode (Harz). Int. Geol Rev. 11, 1298-301 [original article i. Geol. Rudn. Mest. 1968, No. 4, 79-821 Istochnik: elementov v selenidoy mineralizatskii okolo Til'kerode (Garts).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ussher, W. A. E. (1903) The Geology of the Country around Torquay. Mere. Geol. Surv. of England and Wales.Google Scholar