Gold in the volcanogenic mercury-rich sulfide deposit Långsele,Skellefte ore district,northern Sweden

The mineralogy of gold from a volcanogenic sulfide deposit in northern Sweden (Långsele) was studied. The enrichment of gold and silver in massive ore occurs associated with an intrusive metadolerite vein which can be traced across the ore. The emplacement of this vein mobilized the precious metals together with galena and Pb-Sb sulfosalts into fractures and low pressure zones. A high mercury content at L»ngsele (average 250 ppm) has influenced the gold mineralogy. Thus, gold occurs as Au-Ag amalgam, native gold and rarely as aurostibite (AuSb₂). The results of microprobe analyses of amalgam cluster around Au_0.45Ag_0.45Hg_0.10. The composition of ternary amalgam is discussed in connection with the synthetic Au-Ag-Hg system. Furthermore, native gold was found myrmekitically integrown with stibnite which has been interpreted as a breakdown product of aurostibite at low temperature.