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The Krásná Hora, Milešov, and Příčovy Sb-Au ore deposits, Bohemian Massif: mineralogy, fluid inclusions, and stable isotope constraints on the deposit formation

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Abstract

The Krásná Hora-Milešov and Příčovy districts (Czech Republic) are the unique examples of Sb-Au subtype orogenic gold deposits in the Bohemian Massif. They are represented by quartz-stibnite veins and massive stibnite lenses grading into low-grade, disseminated ores in altered host rocks. Gold postdates the stibnite and is often replaced by aurostibite. The ore zones are hosted by hydrothermally altered dikes of lamprophyres (Krásná Hora-Milešov) or are associated with local strike-slip faults (Příčovy). Formation of Sb-Au deposits probably occurred shortly after the main gold-bearing event (348–338 Ma; Au-only deposits) in the central part of the Bohemian Massif. Fluid inclusion analyses suggest that stibnite precipitated at ~250 to ~130 °C and gold at ~200 to ~130 °C from low-salinity aqueous fluids. The main quartz gangue hosting the ore precipitated from the same type of fluid at about 300 °C. Early quartz-arsenopyrite veins are not associated with the Sb-Au deposition and formed from low-salinity, aqueous-carbonic fluid at higher pressure and temperature (~250 MPa, ~400 °C). The estimated oxygen isotope composition of the ore-bearing fluid (4 ± 1‰ SMOW; based on post-ore calcite) suggests its metamorphic or mixed magmatic-metamorphic origin and excludes the involvement of meteoric water. Rapid cooling of warm hydrothermal fluids reacting with “cold” host rock was probably the most important factor in the formation of both stibnite and gold.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Grant Agency of Charles University (project GAUK 1466214). The analytical part benefited also from the institutional support of the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic to the Faculty of Science of Charles University (project PRVOUK) and from the project OPPK CZ.2.16/3.1.00/21516. Robert J. Moye and Madeleine Štulíková are thanked for revision of the English. We would also like to thank V. Hurai (Slovak Academy of Science, Bratislava) for providing access to infrared microscopy and microthermometry of the stibnite. We also greatly acknowledge the constructive reviews of V. Hurai and one anonymous referee, and the editorial handling of S. Hagemann. Figure 7, parts f, g, h, and i, was reproduced here with the permission of the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain & Ireland, from a paper by Zachariáš and Němec (2017).

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    Matěj Němec & Jiří Zachariáš

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Němec, M., Zachariáš, J. The Krásná Hora, Milešov, and Příčovy Sb-Au ore deposits, Bohemian Massif: mineralogy, fluid inclusions, and stable isotope constraints on the deposit formation. Miner Deposita 53, 225–244 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-017-0734-8

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