TY - JOUR

T1 - Towards the continuous series of HgS–ZnS solid solutions: Zn-rich metacinnabar assemblages in the Vorontsovskoe gold deposit (Northern Urals, Russia)

AU - Sandalov, Fedor D.

AU - Rassomakhin, Mikhail A.

AU - Natalia S., Vlasenko

AU - Britvin, Sergey N.

AU - Artemyev, Dmitry A.

AU - Stepanov, Sergey Yu.

AU - Belogub, Elena V.

PY - 2025/9/18

Y1 - 2025/9/18

N2 - A nearly continuous series of metacinnabar-sphalerite solid solutions is reported in assemblages of Zn-rich metacinnabar in gold-bearing carbonate breccias of the Vorontsovskoe gold deposit (Northern Urals, Russia). Metacinnabar occurs as grains containing paragenetic inclusions of realgar, specific thallium-bearing sulfosalts, high-fineness native gold, and a variety of ZnS–HgS minerals, including Zn-bearing metacinnabar, Hg-bearing sphalerite, and pure cinnabar. Selected metacinnabar-sphalerite compositions fall within the (Hg0.54Zn0.46)S–(Zn0.62Hg0.38)S range. This finding confirms the absence of the long-debated miscibility gap (MG), which was previously constrained to (Hg0.54Zn0.46)S–(Zn0.75Hg0.25)S in the natural HgS–ZnS cubic system. The compositions obtained within the MG have the following major components ranges (wt%): Zn (17.7–27.3), Hg (50.7–63.6), S (18.7–22.0). Compositional zoning in Zn and Hg content is observed in metacinnabar. The core consists of either highly Hg-enriched sphalerite or Zn-enriched metacinnabar, while the rim is composed of low-zinc metacinnabar (3–5 wt% Zn). The Hg/Zn ratio gradually increases from core to periphery. Metacinnabar also contains minor impurities of Mn (up to 1.2 wt%) and Cd (up to 2.6 wt%). Manganese is a nearly constant constituent. Based on published compositional data on sphalerite-metacinnabar from 38 localities, manganese is considered an indicator element for these minerals in Vorontsovskoe. Zoned zinc- and manganese-bearing metacinnabar formed during cooling (from < 350 °C to < 200 °C) of late-stage hydrothermal fluids enriched in chalcophile Tl-Cu-Zn-Hg-As-Sb-S elements. Our study suggests that a complete series of ZnS-HgS solid solutions may be found in hydrothermal systems with a relatively high-temperature formation regime (> 250 °C). Besides, Zn-Mn-bearing metacinnabar is a metastable phase in the Zn-Hg-Mn-S system. Manganese is considered a stabilizer for metacinnabar, a natural counterpart of β-HgS, which is a prospective zero-gap semiconductor.

AB - A nearly continuous series of metacinnabar-sphalerite solid solutions is reported in assemblages of Zn-rich metacinnabar in gold-bearing carbonate breccias of the Vorontsovskoe gold deposit (Northern Urals, Russia). Metacinnabar occurs as grains containing paragenetic inclusions of realgar, specific thallium-bearing sulfosalts, high-fineness native gold, and a variety of ZnS–HgS minerals, including Zn-bearing metacinnabar, Hg-bearing sphalerite, and pure cinnabar. Selected metacinnabar-sphalerite compositions fall within the (Hg0.54Zn0.46)S–(Zn0.62Hg0.38)S range. This finding confirms the absence of the long-debated miscibility gap (MG), which was previously constrained to (Hg0.54Zn0.46)S–(Zn0.75Hg0.25)S in the natural HgS–ZnS cubic system. The compositions obtained within the MG have the following major components ranges (wt%): Zn (17.7–27.3), Hg (50.7–63.6), S (18.7–22.0). Compositional zoning in Zn and Hg content is observed in metacinnabar. The core consists of either highly Hg-enriched sphalerite or Zn-enriched metacinnabar, while the rim is composed of low-zinc metacinnabar (3–5 wt% Zn). The Hg/Zn ratio gradually increases from core to periphery. Metacinnabar also contains minor impurities of Mn (up to 1.2 wt%) and Cd (up to 2.6 wt%). Manganese is a nearly constant constituent. Based on published compositional data on sphalerite-metacinnabar from 38 localities, manganese is considered an indicator element for these minerals in Vorontsovskoe. Zoned zinc- and manganese-bearing metacinnabar formed during cooling (from < 350 °C to < 200 °C) of late-stage hydrothermal fluids enriched in chalcophile Tl-Cu-Zn-Hg-As-Sb-S elements. Our study suggests that a complete series of ZnS-HgS solid solutions may be found in hydrothermal systems with a relatively high-temperature formation regime (> 250 °C). Besides, Zn-Mn-bearing metacinnabar is a metastable phase in the Zn-Hg-Mn-S system. Manganese is considered a stabilizer for metacinnabar, a natural counterpart of β-HgS, which is a prospective zero-gap semiconductor.

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/dbe6ab09-4d1d-369a-9dd5-047ec2a44dec/

U2 - 10.2138/am-2025-9783

DO - 10.2138/am-2025-9783

M3 - Article

JO - American Mineralogist

JF - American Mineralogist

SN - 0003-004X

ER -