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Mineralogical Magazine; December 2004; v. 68; no. 6; p. 923-937; DOI: 10.1180/0026461046860231
© 2004 Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland
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Ore genesis at La Colorada Ag-Zn-Pb deposit in Zacatecas, Mexico

N. I. Chutas1,* and R. O. Sack1,2

1 Box 351310, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
2 OFM Research, 28430 NE 47th Place, Redmond, WA 98053-8841, USA

* E-mail: nichutas{at}u.washington.edu

La Colorada, in Zacatecas State, Mexico is an epithermal Ag-Zn-Pb system hosted in Mesozoic calcareous sedimentary rocks overlain by Tertiary volcanic rocks. The dominant vein is associated with a fault system that accommodates Tertiary normal and strike-slip faulting. The ore consists of fahlore [(Cu,Ag)10(Zn,Fe)2(Sb,As)4S13], polybasite [(Ag,Cu)16Sb2S11]–pearceite [(Ag,Cu)16As2S11] solid solution, pyrargyrite [Ag3SbS3]–proustite [Ag3AsS3] solid solution, acanthite-argentite [Ag2S], and native silver; associated sulphides include galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and pyrite. The Ag:Sb of the bulk concentrate from the mine is 1.076 and the Ag:Pb is 0.088. Compositions of the assemblages fahlore + pyrargyrite-proustite + sphalerite, and fahlore + polybasite-pearceite solid solution + (Ag,Cu)2S solid solution + sphalerite encapsulated in quartz and sphalerite indicate a primary depositional temperature of ~325°C for a depth between 725 and 960 m below the inferred palaeosurface, which is in accord with fluid-inclusion data for higher elevations in the mine.

KEYWORDS: Mexico, Ag-Zn-Pb system, ore genesis, fahlore, polybasite, pearceite, pyrargyrite, proustite, acanthite, argentite




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