Abstract Orthopyroxene-bearing tonalites/trondhjemites with scarce quartz diorites comprise the Café enderbite that crops out in three Neoarchean plutons in the central portion of the Canaã dos Carajás domain, Carajás Province, northern Brazil. Intrinsic parameters based on the mineral chemistry of plagioclase, biotite, amphibole, and pyroxene constrain crystallization conditions to 1150–850°C and 750–600 MPa, moderate water content in the melt (4.8–5.6 wt.%) and relatively oxidizing conditions, between the fayalite–magnetite–quartz (FMQ) and nickel– nickel oxide (NNO) + 1.7 buffers. Geochemical modeling indicates that the Café enderbite evolved via at least two fractional crystallization stages – quartz diorite to orthopyroxene tonalite and orthopyroxene tonalite to orthopyroxene trondhjemite – with high crystal content (45–60%, or even higher). This high crystal content during fractional crystallization was the key factor to the preservation of orthopyroxene in the magmatic system as it left only a relatively small proportion of melt to react with early-formed orthopyroxene.

Abstract The Glória Norte Stock (GNS) is made up of predominantly porphyritic biotite- amphibole-bearing quartz monzonite, enclosing a large number of microgranular mafic enclaves (MME). The GNS MME are fine-grained rocks with rounded and ellipsoid shapes that show sharp and gradational contacts with the host rocks, suggesting they coexisted with the host monzonite as magmas. The studied amphibole crystals of the two rock types are calcic and correspond to pargasite, edenite, and magnesium-hornblende. Their compositions are influenced by substitutions involving Al3+, Na+, Fe2+, Si4+ and Mg2+ ions, reflecting the decrease in temperature and the increase in oxygen fugacity. They present low Ti and Al contents, and varied Si content (6.2-7.7 apuf). The mg# values range from 0.48-0.84. Pressures for the crystallization of the MME amphiboles vary between 2.6 and 7.8 kbar and the temperatures of solidus and liquidus were estimated between 600-659 and 887-908ºC, respectively. The early MME amphibole crystals with lower Si and Mg content were formed under high pressure (7.8 kbar) and temperature (908 °C). The presence of amphiboles with 862ºC and 5 kbar in MME and GNS reflects that the interaction between these magmas occurred at 18 km of depth.

Abstract Quartz and cassiterite crystals of granite, greisens, and quartz veins from Mocambo Granite, Carajás Province, were studied by scanning electron microscopy — cathodoluminescence and electron microprobe. Five types of quartz were identified: Qz1, magmatic and Qz2, Qz3, Qz4, and Qz5 hydrothermal. Qz1, anhedric to subhedric, luminescent and fractured at different intensities, predominating in less evolved rocks. Qz2, with low luminescence, is younger than Qz1; it occurs as irregular patches, filling fractures or forming veins that cut Qz1. Qz3, non-luminescent, resulting from continuous alteration, dissolution, and recrystallization processes; fills fractures that cut Qz1 and Qz2. Qz4 occurs in the most evolved and hydrothermalized rocks and in greisens bodies mineralized in cassiterite; is euhedral to subhedral, exhibits well-defined zoning, and has been interpreted as later than the previous one. Qz5 has poor luminescence; occurs in mineralized veins with wolframite and, secondarily, cassiterite. Qz1 shows Ti enrichment, while Qz4 associated with cassiterite is enriched with Al. Well-formed cassiterite crystals exhibit concentric zoning and low Fe, Ti, W, Nb and Mn contents. Qz5-associated cassiterite crystals form inclusions in the wolframite, suggesting that cassiterite and wolframite precipitated from hydrothermal processes at different times.

Estudos em cristais de quartzo presentes nas associações minerais para a área do depósito de ouro São Jorge, Província Aurífera do Tapajós, sudoeste do estado do Pará, identificaram quatro tipos morfológico-texturais (Qz1, Qz2, Qz3 e Qz4) com base em imagens de microscopia eletrônica de varredura-catodoluminescência. Nas rochas mais preservadas do Granito São Jorge Jovem, ricas em anfibólio e biotita (associações 1 e 2), dominam cristais anédricos de quartzo magmático com luminescência alta a moderada (Qz1). Nas rochas parcialmente alteradas (associações 2 e 3), fluidos pós-magmáticos a hidrotermais afetaram o granito e percolaram fraturas do Qz1 e cristalizaram Qz2 não luminescente (escuro). Nas rochas mais intensamente alteradas (associação 4), sucessivos processos de alteração, dissolução e recristalização deram origem a cristais de quartzo zonados subédricos (Qz3) e euédricos (Qz4). Imagens por elétrons retroespalhados e análises semiquantitativas por espectroscopia por dispersão de energia identificaram duas gerações de ouro: Au1, enriquecido em Ag (4,3 a 23,7%) e associado a cristais de pirita; Au2, enriquecido em Te (1,1 a 17,2%) e incluso ou associado ao Qz4. O estudo de microscopia eletrônica de varredura-catodoluminescência forneceu informações importantes que foram preservadas na estrutura do quartzo. A evolução morfológico-textural desse mineral em diferentes estágios evidencia a ação gradativa do hidrotermalismo nas rochas e nas associações minerais do depósito São Jorge. A mineralização aurífera do depósito foi caracterizada quimicamente (espectroscopia por dispersão de energia) e parageneticamente (pirita, esfalerita e Qz4), podendo ser dividida em gerações ou eventos mineralizantes distintos. A eficiência da metodologia utilizada neste estudo foi comprovada, permitindo sua aplicação em estudos de outros depósitos hidrotermais.

Studies in crystals of quartz present in the mineral associations to the area of the São Jorge gold deposit, Tapajós Gold Province, southwest of the Pará state, identified four morphological and textural types (Qz1, Qz2, Qz3 and Qz4) by scanning electron microscopy-cathodoluminescence images. In the more preserved rocks of the Younger São Jorge Jovem granite, rich in amphibole and biotite (associations 1 and 2), anhedral crystals of magmatic quartz with high to moderate luminescence (Qz1) dominate. In the partly altered rocks (associations 2 and 3), post-magmatic to hydrothermal fluids affected the granite, and filled fractures in Qz1 and crystallized not luminescent (dark) Qz2. In the most intensely altered rocks (association 4), successive alteration, dissolution and recrystallization processes gave rise to typically hydrothermal zoned, subhedral (Qz3) and euhedral (Qz4) quartz crystals. Images by backscattered electrons and semiquantitative analysis by energy dispersive spectroscopy identified two generations of gold: Au1, enriched in Ag (4.3 to 23.7%) and associated to pyrite crystals; Au2, enriched in Te (1.1 to 17.2%) and included or associated to Qz4. The scanning electron microscopy-cathodoluminescence study provided important information that was preserved in the quartz structure. The morphological and textural evolution of this mineral in different stages shows the gradual action of the hydrothermalism in the rocks and minerals associations of São Jorge deposit. Gold mineralization of the deposit was chemically (energy dispersive spectroscopy) and paragenetically (pyrite, sphalerite and Qz4) characterized, and it can be divided into different generations or mineralizing events. The effectiveness of the methodology used in this study was established, allowing its application in studies of other hydrothermal deposits.

As opalas laranjas de Buriti dos Montes (Piauí, nordeste do Brasil) têm propriedades gemológicas que favorecem seu uso como jóias; essas características incluem as cores, transparência, dureza e estabilidade relativamente elevadas. O exótico conteúdo de inclusões sólidas proporciona maior beleza às opalas da região. Essas opalas foram originadas por processos hidrotermais e são encontradas, principalmente, em vênulas e veios nos arenitos do Grupo Serra Grande, seccionados por soleiras e diques de diabásio da Formação Sardinha. Inclusões sólidas, tais como bolhas, agregados botrioidais, dendritos e nódulos, entre outras, consistem, principalmente, de caulinita, hematita/goethita e quartzo e influenciam a composição química das opalas. O zoneamento intenso dos cristais de quartzo e os elevados valores de Ba e Fe sugerem que os depósitos de opala foram formados em ambiente hidrotermal. Os diques de diabásio teriam sido responsáveis pelo aquecimento dos fluidos hidrotermais. Os arenitos, ricos em soluções aquosas, também teriam contribuído com a sílica disponível para a saturação dessas soluções e as fraturas permitiram a migração e aprisionamento dos fluidos hidrotermais, resultando nos veios mineralizados.

Orange opals from Buriti dos Montes (Piauí, northeastern Brazil) have gemological properties that favor their use as jewelry; these characteristics include their colors, transparency, relatively high stability and hardness. The exotic content of solid inclusions provides greater beauty to the opals of this region. These opals originated from hydrothermal processes and are found mainly as veinlets and veins in the sandstones of the Serra Grande Group, sectioned by diabase dikes and sills of the Sardinha Formation. Solid inclusions, such as bubbles, botryoidal aggregates, dendrites, and nodules, among others, consist mainly of kaolinite, hematite/goethite and quartz and influence the chemical composition of opals. Intense zoning of quartz crystals and high values of Ba and Fe suggest that opal deposits were formed in a hydrothermal environment. Diabase dykes could have been responsible for heating the hydrothermal fluids. Sandstones, rich in aqueous solutions, also contributed to the available silica for the saturation of these solutions, and fractures enabled the migration and entrapment of hydrothermal fluids, resulting in the mineralized veins.