Tellurides and bismuth sulfosalts in gold occurrences of Greece: mineralogical and genetic considerations

Abstract

<p>Pre-Tertiary to Tertiary gold deposits in Greece occur in a wide range of genetic types including volcanic massive sulfides, orogenic, intrusion-hosted, skarn, manto-, porphyry- and epithermal-type ores. Almost all of the gold mineralization hosts various Bi-tellurides and Bi-sulfosalts, which in addition to Au-Ag-tellurides, are indicators of specific physicochemical conditions of ore formation. The Bi-bearing mineralization can be subdivided into three groups regarding their spatial relationship to gold: (a) mineralization which lacks tellurides but includes Bi-sulfosalts and native gold, (b) mineralization where Bi-tellurides of the reduced-type (joseite-A, joseite-B, pilsenite) accompany Bi-sulfosalts, native bismuth and native gold, (c) deposits/prospects where Au-Ag-tellurides are abundant and Bi-tellurides and Bi-sulfosalts are absent. Bi-telluride and -sulfosalt mineralization in Greece underwent several stages of remobilization during successive accretionary episodes in active continental margins and arc terranes during the Carboniferous to Pleistocene.</p>