红外光谱-显微共焦激光拉曼光谱研究天然红宝石和蓝宝石中含水矿物包裹体特征

天然红宝石和蓝宝石的包裹体中常见典型的含水矿物包裹体,这些含水矿物包裹体容易受外界环境升温而发生改变。微量含水矿物包裹体变化会对红宝石和蓝宝石的物理和化学性质产生明显影响,该性质为宝石热处理的鉴定提供了检测思路。本文采集了天然红宝石和蓝宝石样品,用显微镜放大观察包裹体特征,结合红外光谱与显微共焦激光拉曼光谱测试研究了含水矿物包裹体的特征。结果表明:天然红宝石和蓝宝石样品中含水矿物包裹体的外观轮廓清晰,晶形完整;红外光谱在2000～3700cm~(-1)附近显示出2105～2110cm~(-1)和1977～1985cm~(-1)硬水铝石和3619cm~(-1)和3696cm~(-1)高岭石等水(H_2O或—OH等)的特征吸收峰;拉曼光谱中可见角闪石、云母、磷灰石和长石等结晶度较好的典型含水矿物包裹体的特征拉曼位移。该系列特征揭示了红宝石和蓝宝石样品中含有水的特征,可作为红宝石和蓝宝石天然成因且未经过热处理的鉴定依据。     

苏鲁超高压榴辉岩中的钛成矿作用:大陆板块汇聚边界的成矿作用

榴辉岩型钛矿床是重要的钛矿床类型之一。苏鲁超高压榴辉岩中的钛成矿作用以金红石型钛矿床为主,其中金红石以变质矿物中的包裹体、晶间颗粒或脉状形式出现。富钛石榴子石是金红石包裹体出溶的初始矿物。岩石地球化学研究表明,有利于金红石成矿的榴辉岩为高钛榴辉岩,其源岩为富钛基性岩。利用红外显微镜对金红石进行的流体包裹体研究表明,金红石中主要存在三类流体包裹体,即型H2O溶液包裹体、型CO2-H2O包裹体和型CH4包裹体,其中I型原生和假次生流体包裹体和型流体包裹体反映出的压力范围为0.6~1.3GPa,与榴辉岩角闪岩相退变质作用的压力相当,说明与这类金红石形成有关的变质流体源于榴辉岩退变质作用所释放的水。苏鲁地区超高压榴辉岩是华南—华北板块碰撞的结果,巨量陆壳物质俯冲—折返形成了多样式的高压—超高压岩石,与此同时也发生了以金红石为主要矿石矿物的钛成矿作用。综合矿物学、岩石学、地球化学等研究,我们提出大陆板块汇聚边界的钛成矿作用应该经历了原岩的初始富集、陆壳物质俯冲过程中钛的成矿作用、俯冲板块折返过程中钛的成矿作用和流体阶段的金红石成矿作用四个主要成矿阶段。     

CCSD主孔超高压榴辉岩金红石中的矿物包裹体研究

金红石是榴辉岩中的主要含钛副矿物。中国大陆科学钻探工程（CCSD）主孔100～2000m岩心样品中，金红石榴辉岩、多硅白云母榴辉岩和蓝晶石榴辉岩中都程度不等地含有金红石。金红石既可以与其他矿物一起被石榴石、绿辉石等主要变质矿物包裹，也可以包裹其他矿物。本文利用电子探针技术，对CCSD所揭示的超高压榴辉岩的金红石中的矿物包裹体进行了鉴定和分析。结果显示，绿辉石、富铪锆石、高铝榍石、韭闪石和红闪石、斜黝帘石等矿物包裹体形成于榴辉岩相进变质至峰期变质阶段；随着超高压变质带快速折返，榴辉岩经受强烈的退变质作用，包括金红石、绿辉石在内的多种矿物都经受了退变质作用，与金红石共生的钛铁矿完全或者部分退变成含铁金红石和钛铁晶石。在退变的金红石中，还发现了透辉石＋斜长石后成合晶、低铝榍石、镁绿闪石等退变质矿物组合。     

超高压榴辉岩中多相固体包裹体的成因机制:原位熔融vs生长捕获vs熔/流体渗入

越来越多的证据表明,超高压地体在俯冲和折返过程中可以经历部分熔融[1-2]。部分熔融会显著影响深俯冲板块的物理化学性质,在超高压地体的演化过程中扮演着极其重要的角色[3-4]。长英质片麻岩是超高压地体中最常见且最易熔的一种岩石类型,目前已报道的部分熔融现象普遍同该类岩石紧密相关。不同于长英质片麻岩,基性榴辉岩通常保留了峰期超高压矿物组合且相对难熔,同时其经历部分熔融的现象鲜有报道。超高压榴辉岩中石英±钾长石±斜长石±其他矿物多相固体包裹体的研究表明,大别—苏鲁超高压榴辉岩在折返早期可能经历过低程度部分熔融[5-6],然而关于该类多相固体包裹体的成因目前仍存在争议。本研究对大别山甘家岭M型超高压榴辉岩进行了详细的岩石学和矿物学研究并发现了部分熔融的多种证据。与此同时,对榴辉岩中的多相固体包裹体进行了详细的显微构造和成分分析,相关研究结果为其形成机制提供了新的认识。甘家岭超高压榴辉岩峰期矿物组合由石榴子石、绿辉石、多硅白云母、柯石英、菱镁矿、白云石、金红石、磷灰石和锆石等组成,局部经折返熔融形成以石榴子石和石英为主要组成的残余体。相较于榴辉岩,残余体的Si O2、P2O5和REE含量升高,其他主量元素和LILE含量降低。榴辉岩和残余体在显微尺度上保留了部分熔融的多种结构证据:斜长石和绿帘石薄膜/条带、斜长石+石英熔体囊假象、斜长石+钾长石交生体、绿帘石的震荡环带等。榴辉岩和残余体中的石榴子石含有相似的多相固体包裹体,不过该现象在残余体中更为典型。石榴子石中的多相固体包裹体主要分为两类:第一类由石英±钾长石±斜长石±其他矿物组成,整体形态非常接近柯石英;第二类核部由金红石组成,其周围被斜长石+钾长石±石英包裹,包裹体的整体形态非常接近核部的金红石。两类包裹体均发育楔入状和颈缩构造,包裹体同石榴子石之间的接触边界明显受控于寄主矿物晶面,这些特征暗示两类包裹体的形成均同熔流体活动紧密相关。第一类多相固体包裹体富集LILE(Cs、Rb、Ba、K、Pb、Li、Be和Sr)但其LREE和HFSE(Nb、Ta和Ti)含量变化较大,后两类元素的含量分别同包裹体中的绿帘石和含钛矿物多少紧密相关。考虑到两类包裹体的整体形态分别接近早期的柯石英和金红石包裹体并且其化学组成多变,本研究认为这些包裹体是由外界的熔流体渗入到石榴子石中并同早期的矿物包裹体相互反应形成的。石榴子石中发育两期裂隙,早期裂隙已经愈合并在电子背散射图像上表现为脉络状亮纹,晚期裂隙切割早期愈合裂隙并被后期蚀变的绿泥石充填,本研究将前者解释为早期熔流体的渗入通道。此种成因机制下,利用上述多相固体包裹体恢复早期的熔流体成分将会非常困难。     

滇西双江县勐库地区(退变)榴辉岩的岩石学、矿物学特征

滇西双江县勐库镇以北的那卡河、控角等地出露的(退变)榴辉岩以构造岩片的形式产于奥陶纪湾河蛇绿岩混杂岩带中。根据退变质程度差异依次划分为退变榴辉岩、榴闪岩、含石榴斜长角闪岩,主要矿物成分为角闪石、石榴子石、单斜辉石、斜长石,次要矿物成分为金红石、多硅白云母、硬玉、绿帘石、黑云母、磷灰石、石英等,特征的高压-超高压变质矿物绿辉石仅残余在少量的石榴子石、角闪石中,以包裹体形式产出。岩石学和矿物学研究显示,该榴辉岩峰期变质矿物组合为:绿辉石+石榴子石+金红石+石英+多硅白云母。石榴子石中的部分石英包裹体周围发育放射状的胀裂纹,暗示其可能由柯石英转化而成。由此推断,该榴辉岩可能经历了超高压变质作用。     

鲁西沂南金场夕卡岩型金铜矿床矿化时代与成矿流体研究

沂南金场金铜矿床是鲁西地区夕卡岩型矿床的典型代表,矿床产于燕山期中酸性杂岩体与新太古界-寒武系地层的内外接触带附近,受岩浆岩、地层岩性以及构造的复合控制。由石榴子石和透辉石构成了早夕卡岩阶段矿物组合,而绿帘石+磁铁矿+镜铁矿±透闪石±阳起石±石英构成了晚夕卡岩-磁铁矿阶段矿物组合。利用早夕卡岩期黑云母以及晚夕卡岩期与碳酸盐伴生的黑云母样品进行单颗粒云母超低本底Rb-Sr等时线测试,分别获得了133±6Ma和128±2Ma年龄数据,它们与金场岩体的形成时间十分一致,说明该矿床与侵入体有密切的成因联系。流体包裹体研究表明,沂南金场金铜矿床各成矿阶段矿石中的流体包裹体主要有四种类型:含子矿物三相包裹体、富气包裹体、H2O-CO2包裹体和气液两相包裹体。从早夕卡岩阶段石榴石捕获的含子矿物包裹体中获得了很高的均一温度(530～570℃)和盐度(39.9%～60.4%)值,而晚夕卡岩阶段透辉石中含子矿物包裹体也显示较高的均一温度(451～580℃)和盐度(39.3%～60.7%)值。石英-硫化物阶段石英中包裹体均一温度分为两个区间,分别为320～450℃和108～291℃。石榴石内含子矿物包裹体,其子矿物可能为赤铁矿或磁铁矿,结合该矿床的矿石矿物组成特征,沂南金场为岩浆热液流体形成的氧化型夕卡岩金铜矿床。     

黑云母快速提纯研究

方法与步骤云母的结晶构造属于层状构造,其晶体成假六方柱状、板状、鳞片状或叶片状等.{001}解理极发育,沿解理易被剥成薄片;薄片能弯曲,具弹性.与云母伴生的矿物(如石英、长石、角闪石、辉石及某些副矿物磷灰石、磁铁矿、锆石、榍石、金红石等)多数为粒状、柱粒状的脆性矿物.造岩矿物粒度一般0.1毫米以上,副矿物一般小于0.05毫米.造岩矿物常与黑云母成连晶,而副矿物常常包裹在黑云母之中.这就给黑云母提纯带来了很大困难.     

热处理天然金红石的微结构研究

利用粉晶X射线衍射(XRD)、透射电镜(TEM)等分析手段对在氩气气氛中加热、退火的天然金红石样品的微结构进行了研究.研究表明样品在热处理后,晶格发生膨胀,并且在900 ℃和1000 ℃的样品中出现了钛铁矿物相.钛铁矿也是一种天然半导体矿物,沿与金红石(010)面网成大约31°夹角的方向生长,与金红石形成了二元复合半导体.紫外漫反射实验结果表明热处理后,金红石中出现的钛铁矿相有效地促进了光催化效果.     

显微红外测温技术及其在金红石矿床中的应用

显微红外测温技术是红外显微镜通过红外成像系统研究不透明和半透明矿物的流体包裹体的丰度和分布特征,并与冷热台相结合,进行流体包裹体显微测温分析的一种技术手段。本文以苏鲁超高压变质带东海榴辉岩中金红石矿床的流体包裹体研究为例,系统介绍了显微红外测温分析技术。结果表明,显微红外测温技术是研究半透明和不透明矿物中流体包裹体的一种十分有效的新手段,可见光和红外光两种光源下流体包裹体的测定不存在系统误差。利用红外显微镜进行半透明-不透明矿石矿物的流体包裹体测定时,循环技术法是测定冰点和均一温度的有效方法。江苏东海地区超高压变质带所经历的早期退变质阶段是金红石矿床的主要形成阶段。显微红外测温技术对研究矿床的成矿流体性质以及矿床成因等具有重要的意义。并将在金属矿床成矿流体的研究领域发挥重要的作用。     

天然蓝色蓝宝石的鉴别特征

天然蓝色蓝宝石的鉴别特征李觉文（１）天然蓝宝石其颜色为天然生成，是蓝宝石的固有本色。颜色不很均匀或很不均匀。而人工合成蓝宝石颜色均匀，染色蓝宝石颜色沿网脉裂隙加深。（２）天然蓝宝石有天然矿物包裹体，金红石包裹体呈长针状成群出现，气液包裹体无爆裂现象。...     

Study of melt inclusions in the Nezametnoye corundum deposit, Primorsky region of the Russian Far East: Petrogenetic consequences

Any and all proposed theories regarding the origin of sapphires are still very much open to debate. Critical inconsistency arises on the magmatic petrogenesis mechanism of sapphire crystal formation. The Nezametnoye Deposit is one of the most prospective placer deposits of jewelry grade corundum (sapphire) and zircon (jacinth) in Russia, and is known for its native and alluvial gold–wolframite–tin deposits. We present new data obtained from mineral and primary melt inclusions that are syngenetic to corundum. Electron microprobe analysis indicates that rutile, zircon, albite, zinc-bearing hercynite, columbite, and fluorite represent syngenetic mineral inclusions. Silicate melt inclusions are almost always associated with carbon dioxide inclusions; this correlation suggests that a heterogeneous fluid–melt system was present during corundum crystallization. Distinctive features of chemical composition of the inclusions, along with their agpaitic coefficients, indicate that corundum crystallization occurred from granosyenite melts. Primary carbon dioxide-rich inclusions form random groups, or are associated with melt inclusions. P–T conditions for corundum crystallization have been calculated as 780–820 °C and 1.7–3 kbar, based on data from primary carbon dioxide and melt inclusions.     

鲁西地区“泰山红宝石”的发现及其地质特征

在山东新泰市新太古代泰山岩群变质岩系中,首次发现宝石级红刚玉,又称红宝石,商业名称暂定为＂泰山红宝石＂。红宝石产于鲁西地区新太古代二长花岗岩的壳源岩石包体之中,包体岩性以黑云更长变粒岩、黑云片岩、角闪石岩、斜长角闪岩、浅绿色含铬二云片岩为主,是新太古代古老地壳的深融残留;红刚玉与浅绿色含铬二云片岩关系密切,推测是新太古代变质岩中原岩残留斑晶矿物。     

REMARKS ON THE GENETIC SIGNIFICANCE OF CERTAIN TYPES OF HARD MINERAL INCLUSIONS IN QUARTZ

Syngenetic and protogenetic hard mineral inclusions are met with in crystals of quartz. Syngenetic inclusions are of special interest for the determination of some important details in the mechanism of crystal growth and the elucidation of the composition and concentration of quartz-forming solutions. Protogenetic inclusions facilitate the forming of conclusions on the regime of solutions, the conditions of growth of crystals, etc. For instance, a study of the "hairstone" (crystals of quartz with numerous accumulations of fine needles of tourmaline, rutile, etc. ) suggest that rock crystals often grow in open cavities in very tranquil conditions, probably, mainly as a result of a diffusion of the substance. The presence of "intercrystal druses" of quartz in quartz may witness a pulsating intake of solutions and the absence of an equilibrium in the latter. The study of some inclusions suggests a possible formation of crystals of rock crystal resulting from a recrystallization of the enclosing rocks (quartzites). So-called powderings which have repeatedly been described and which are widespread in nature, evidently originate in consequence of various processes and can belong to the group of syngenetic inclusions. --Auth. English summary.     

中国大陆科学钻探主孔0～4500米变质岩石锆石中保存的超高压矿物包体

中国大陆科学钻探主孔0-4500米的岩心主要由榴辉岩、斜长角闪岩、副片麻岩、正片麻岩以及少量的超基性岩所组成。岩相学研究结果表明,榴辉岩的围岩普遍经历了强烈角闪岩相退变质作用的改造,峰期超高压变质的矿物组合已完全被后期退变质过程中角闪岩相矿物组合所替代。采用激光拉曼技术,配备电子探针和阴极发光测试,发现主孔224件岩心中有121件(包括榴辉岩、斜长角闪岩、副片麻岩和正片麻岩)样品的锆石中普遍隐藏以柯石英为代表的超高压矿物包体,且不同岩石类型锆石中所保存的超高压矿物包体组合存在明显差异。(含多硅白云母)金红石石英榴辉岩锆石中保存的典型超高压包体矿物组合为柯石英 石榴石、柯石英 石榴石 绿辉石 金红石和柯石英 多硅白云母 磷灰石。黑云绿帘斜长角闪岩锆石中保存的超高压矿物组合为柯石英 石榴石 绿辉石、柯石英 石榴石 多硅白云母和柯石英 绿辉石 金红石,与榴辉岩所保存的超高压矿物组合十分相似,表明该类斜长角闪岩是由超高压榴辉岩在构造折返过程中退变质而成。在副片麻岩类岩石,如石榴绿帘黑云二长片麻岩锆石中,代表性的超高压包体矿物组合为柯石英 多硅白云母和柯石英 石榴石等;而在石榴黑云角闪钠长片麻岩锆石中,则保存柯石英 硬玉 石榴石 磷灰石、柯石英 硬玉 多硅白云母 磷灰石和柯石英 石榴石 磷灰石等超高压矿物包体。在正片麻岩锆石中,标志性的超高压矿物包体为柯石英、柯石英 多硅白云母、柯石英 蓝晶石 磷灰石和柯石英 蓝晶石 榍石等。此外,在南苏鲁东海至临沭一带的地表露头以及一系列卫星孔岩心的锆石中,也普遍发现以柯石英为代表的标志性超高压矿物包体,表明在南苏鲁地区由榴辉岩及其围岩的原岩所组成的巨量陆壳物质(方圆>5000km2,厚度超过4.5km)曾整体发生深俯冲,并经历了超高压变质作用。该项研究对于重塑苏鲁-大别超高压变质带俯冲-折返的动力学模式有着重要的科学意义。     

Review on Lithospheric Diamonds and Their Mineral Inclusions

Diamonds and their mineral inclusions are valuable for studying the genesis of diamonds, the characteristics and processes of ancient lithospheric mantle and deeper mantle. This has been paid lots of attentions by geologists both at home and abroad. Most diamonds come from lithospheric mantle. According to their formation preceded, accompanied or followed crystallization of their host diamonds, mineral inclusions in diamonds are divided into three groups: protogenetic, syngenetic and epigenetic. To determine which group the mineral inclusions belong to is very important because it is vital for understanding the data’s meaning. According to the type of mantle source rocks, mineral inclusions in diamonds are usually divided into peridotitic (or ultramafic) suite and eclogitic suite. The mineral species of each suite are described and mineralogical characteristics of most common inclusions in diamonds, such as olivine, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, garnet, chromite and sulfide are reviewed in detail. In this paper, the main research fields and findings of diamonds and their inclusions were described: ①getting knowledge of mineralogical and petrologic characteristics of diamond source areas, characteristics of mantle fluids and mantle dynamics processes by studying the major element and trace element compositions of mineral inclusions; ②discussing deep carbon cycle by studying carbon isotopic composition of diamonds; ③determining forming temperature and pressure of diamonds by using appropriate assemblages of mineral inclusions or single mineral inclusion as geothermobarometry, by using the abundance and aggregation of nitrogen impurities in diamonds and by measuring the residual stress that an inclusion remains under within a diamond ; ④estimating the crystallization ages of diamonds by using the aggregation of nitrogen impurities in diamonds and by determine the radiometric ages of syngenetic mineral inclusions in diamonds. Genetic model of craton lithospheric diamonds and their mineral inclusion were also introduced. In the end, the research progress on diamonds and their inclusions in China and the gap between domestic and international research are discussed.     

Mineralogical Characteristics of the Separated Magnetic Rutile of the Egyptian Black Sands

The Egyptian black sands contain several economic minerals, such as ilmenite, magnetite, garnet, zircon, rutile and monazite. During the concentration and separation of a high-grade rutile concentrate a bulk magnetic fraction is obtained. This fraction is composed mainly of opaques, titanhematite, ilmenite–titanhematite exsolved intergrown grains, magnetic leucoxene in addition to chromite, and magnetic rutile. The magnetic rutile occupies 6 wt.% of the bulk magnetic fraction or approx. 4 wt.% of the original rutile content in the raw sands. Most of magnetic rutile crystals are contaminated with opaque inclusions, staining-coating and/or composite locked grains. This magnetic rutile has a magnetic range from strongly paramagnetic to very weak paramagnetic. Electron microprobe analysis for twenty-three magnetic rutile grains identified mineral components of rutile, titanhematite, pseudorutile, leached pseudorutile and ilmenite in decreasing order of abundance. Some other inclusions are also detected in the different magnetic rutile grains. They are most probably garnet, silica, amphibole, ilmenite, feldspar, mica and zircon. The presence of these inclusions reflect the derivation of magnetic rutile of various crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks. The magnetic susceptibility of magnetic rutile depends on the associated mineral components and their relative volumes in comparison to the rutile mineral component. Magnetic susceptibility of magnetic rutile is also related to both type and size of the associated mineral inclusions. The average chemical composition of the magnetic rutile is 66.34 wt.% TiO₂, 21.71 wt.% Fe₂O₃, 6.39 wt.% SiO₂, 1.80 wt.% Al₂O₃, 1.19 wt.% CaO and 0.10 wt.% Cr₂O₃. Thus, the contamination of magnetic rutile in the non-magnetic rutile concentrate would decrease the market value of the rutile concentrate. Alternatively these magnetic rutile grains are recommended to be blended with magnetic leucoxene or some types of ilmenite concentrate to improve the overall marketable specifications especially for both of Ti, Fe and Cr contents.     

山西代县金红石矿床中锆石的内部特征和矿物包裹体研究及其地质意义

对山西代县洪塘矿区富含红色和黑色两种金红石的直闪岩进行岩相观察和矿物成分分析,并就其中锆石在阴极发光下的外部形态、内部结构及矿物包裹体进行研究.所分选出的锆石按其颗粒上的相对位置、形态、阴极发光图像、SHRIMP年龄值以及内部矿物包裹体划分为复杂锆石和单成因锆石,其中复杂锆石由核部、幔部和边部锆石三类锆石组成.第1类锆石无环带,部分边缘可见溶蚀痕迹,为继承锆石.内部包裹富锾矿物组合顽火辉石+金云母,与寄主岩石的组合明显不同,反映其可能是寄主岩石形成之前保留于锆石中的原岩矿物并源于地幔.第Ⅱ类锆石为半自形-自形晶,环带较宽且清晰,推测为高级变质锆石.其内矿物包裹体主要为直闪石,其次为钙铁辉石(?),反映其形成于角闪岩相,与寄主岩石的矿物组合可能一致.第Ⅲ类锆石主要位于增生边,阴极发光亮度高,推测为流体改造的变质锆石.第Ⅳ类单成因锆石多呈自形,阴极发光下较暗,生长环带规则且较窄.矿物包裹体有钠长石+石英+白云母,对应中压绿片岩相,其形成温度和压力低于寄主岩石,它与第Ⅲ类锆石可能是在同一期后期事件中形成.结合岩相学研究结果,认为该区金红石矿床之原岩可能是岩浆岩,后期经历了至少两期构造热事件,早期热事件可能导致了锆石内U-Th-Pb体系的重置.以上研究结果表明经历复杂变质作用的变质岩中锆石内部矿物包裹体的研究分析还是探讨寄主岩石成因及所经历地质事件的有效手段.     

The origin of rutile-ilmenite aggregates (“nigrine”) in alluvial-fluvial placers of the Hagendorf pegmatite province, NE Bavaria, Germany

Summary Titanium placer deposits occur in alluvial-fluvial drainage systems which dissect Moldanubian gneisses intruded by Late Variscan pegmatites (Hagendorf province) in southern Germany. Based upon their texture (zonation, exsolution lamellae, intergrowth), microchemical data (Nb, Cr, Ta, V, Fe, W, Sn) and mineral inclusions, two major grain types of intergrown rutile and ilmenite have been established. Grains of type A are always zoned and consist of rutile cores enveloped by ilmenite containing small inclusions of wolframite. A core-rim transition zone is characterized by complex relations of rutile and ilmenite, with rutile lamellae being rich in Nb, V and Fe. Types B1 and B2 aggregates consist of ilmenite with lamellae of niobian rutile and/or ilmenorutile, and additionally have inclusions of ferrocolumbite, pyrochlore, betafite, sphalerite, pyrrhotite and Fe oxides. Such grain types featuring an intimate intergrowth of rutile and ilmenite were called nigrine. Type-C grains are quite similar in their morphological appearance but consist of W-enriched rutile devoid of mineral inclusions and reaction products. Pseudorutile and leucoxene replacing minerals of the nigrine aggregates are presumably caused by supergene alteration under fluctuating redox conditions. Phosphate and aluminum remobilized by supergene processes led to the formation of hydrous Ti-rich phases containing Al, P and Fe. High Nb and W concentrations in nigrine aggregates and in rutile type C may be taken as a marker for highly differentiated granites or pegmatites. This has implications for both, heavy-mineral-based provenance analysis and stream sediment exploration.     

Age and origin of gem corundum and zircon megacrysts from the Mercaderes–Rio Mayo area, South-west Colombia, South America

Potential sources for alluvial gem corundum and zircon from the Rio Mayo area, near Mercaderes, Colombia are reviewed, based on U–Pb dating of syngenetic and protogenetic mineral inclusions in corundum samples and on a zircon megacryst. Corundum recovered from the region (approx. 99% sapphire, 1% ruby) commonly shows growth banding, includes colour change stones and exhibits overlaps in colour ranges and inclusion characteristics. This suggests a contiguous genetic suite. The U–Pb dating used laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) techniques. Because of the young ages and low-U contents of the dated zircons, the acquired data required a special statistical treatment. The results from zircon, fluorapatite and allanite-(Ce) inclusions provide a corundum crystallization age of 8 to 11 Ma, in relation to northern Andean Miocene uplift and magmatism. The zircon megacryst gave a younger crystallization age of c. 0.6 Ma, unrelated to the corundum genesis. Geochemical parameters (trace element and O isotope ranges) for corundum samples suggest a metamorphic/metasomatic origin. The age data rules out corundum genesis during the Late Cretaceous ophiolitic generation, but leave open possible later metasomatic interactions with this substrate. The Cr/Ga and Ga/Mg ratios and O isotope range for the corundum fall within the known limits for metasomatic, desilicated felsic/ultramafic ‘plumasitic’ associations, suggesting a possible parental source. Allanite, extremely rare as an inclusion in corundum elsewhere, may prove a characteristic inclusion for Rio Mayo corundum.