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Emerald from the Habachtal: new observations

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Abstract
The emerald mineralization in the Habachtal (Austria) is geologically and tectonically complex, and previous investigators have identified fluid inclusion evidence for a hydrothermal/metamorphic origin for the emeralds. In this paper we report the discovery of emeralds with a distinctly different inclusion population including melt inclusions, which demonstrates that at least some and probably most of the emerald mineralization in the Habachtal occurred from an extremely fluid-rich pegmatite-like aluminosilicate melt under supercritical conditions, at high temperatures and moderate pressures (~700 °C, 5 kbar). This conclusion is based on the presence of very highly-ordered graphite, and extremely water-rich melt inclusions in emerald. The Lorentz distribution of MgCO3 against the water concentration is a very robust proof for the supercritical state. We suggest that the purely metamorphic model, based on the extrapolation of fluid inclusion data to the regional metamorphic conditions (550 °C and 5 kbar) by some previous investigators are inconsistent with our finding of high-temperature indications (well-ordered graphite, high-temperature fluid inclusions and melt inclusions). This apparent conflict suggests a more complex situation and requires a re-investigation of the emerald genesis in the Habachtal deposit.
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: | Thomas, R and Davidson, P and Rericha, A |
Keywords: | melt inclusion, fluid inclusion, well-ordered graphite, supercritical state, emerald |
Journal or Publication Title: | Mineralogy and Petrology |
Publisher: | Springer-Verlag Wien |
ISSN: | 0930-0708 |
DOI / ID Number: | 10.1007/s00710-020-00700-4 |
Copyright Information: | Copyright 2020 Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature |
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