Scientific publications

Detailed study of gold-copper sulphide-quartz ores from the Voitsky deposit has shown that these are low-temperature veins that contain Au, Ag, Mo, Se, Te, Th and REE that оform corresponding minerals in ores and altered near-ore quartzitic sandstones. Selenides, tellurides and native gold occur in bornite ores that exhibit chalcosine disintegration. Chalcosine composition suggests a temperature not more than 150 С. A wide spectrum of Se – Te, Ag – Au replacements and some new phases that require further study were revealed in the selenide-telluride system. A new mineral, fischesserite, was found for the first time in Karelia, and rare Bi-bearing minerals, bohdanowiczite and wittichenite, were found. Finely dispersed gold in bornite ores typically shows “chalcosine” disintegration and differs from quartz vein gold (5.0–6.5% Ag) in higher Ag content (11.75–21.71%). Gold was discovered there for the first time in Russia and gold production was launched in this area in the 18th century.