Noble-metal minerals in ores of the black-shale type in the Voronezh Crystalline Massif, central Russia

High-carbonaceous stratified formations and related metasomatic rocks of global abundance are among highly promising sources of gold and platinum-group metals (PGMs) in the 21st century. The Au-PGM mineralization of the black-shale type hosted in the Early Karelian Kursk and Oskol groups in central Russia is characterized by complex multicomponent and polymineralic composition (more than 60 ore minerals, including more than 20 Au and PGM phases) and diverse speciation of noble metals in form of (1) native elements (gold, palladium, platinum, osmium, silver); (2) metallic solid solutions and intermetallic compounds (Pt-bearing palladium, Fe-bearing platinum, gold-platinum-palladium, osmiridium, rutheniridosmin, platiridosmin, platosmiridium, Hg-Te-Ag-bearing gold, gold-silver amalgam, arquerite, palladium stannide (unnamed mineral), platinum-palladium-gold-silver-tin); (3) PGM, Au, and Ag sulfoarsenides, tellurides, antimonides, selenides, and sulfosalts (sperrylite, irarsite, hessite, Pd and Pt selenide (unnamed mineral)), testibiopalladinite, Pd antimonide (unnamed mineral), etc.; and (4) impurities in ore-forming sulfides, sulfoarsenides, tellurides, antimonides, and selenides. The chemical analyses of PGM and Au minerals are presented, and their morphology and microstructure are considered.