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Distribution of silver in massive sulfide ores

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Abstract

The distribution of silver in connection with the formation of massive sulfide ores is discussed. It is proposed: 1) The affinity between silver and galena-rich ores is only pronounced if antimony and/or bismuth are also present in significant amounts, and 2) The degree of correlation between silver and lead is partly a function of the Ag/Sb+Bi ratio in the ore and increasing with decrease in ratio at least up to Ag/Sb+Bi=1. Observations of correlated Cu/Ag ratios in complex ores indicate that some silver was solved in chalcopyrite at the time of deposition. This is often masked by the much higher silver contents associated with galena. The Bi/Sb ratio is expected to increase downwards stratigraphically in galena-rich ores, due to a larger solubility of silver-bismuth in galena as compared with silver-antimony, at a realistic deposition temperature (200–300 °C). However, such an effect will only rarely be seen, due to incomplete separation of the ore-constituents at the time of deposition, as well as to post-depositional changes.

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  1. Geological Institute, Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 13, S-223 62, Lund, Sweden

    Örjan Amcoff

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  1. Örjan Amcoff
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Amcoff, Ö. Distribution of silver in massive sulfide ores. Mineral. Deposita 19, 63–69 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00206598

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