Magnesio-lucchesiite from the Kowary vicinity, Karkonosze Mountains, SW Poland: the third occurrence worldwide

Two tourmaline samples occurring in quartz veinlets, which cross-cut an amphibolite body at the Budniki camp near the Kowary town in the south-west part of the Karkonosze Mountains, SW Poland, were studied through microprobe and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Samples were extracted from core and rim regions of crystals with concentric zoning. Chemical and structural data revealed that the core tourmaline is characterised by a dravite-oxy-dravite composition, with the formula: (X)(Na0.82Ca0.07K0.01Sr0.010.09)(sigma 1)(Y)(Mg1.73Fe0.812+Fe0.413+Ti0.04V0.01)(sigma 3)(Z)(Al5.85Fe0.153+)(sigma 6)((Si6O18)-Si-T)(BO3)(3)(OH)(3)(W)(OH0.50O0.50)(sigma 1) and unit cell parameters a = 15.97377(14) angstrom and c = 7.22644(7) angstrom. The rim part of the crystals has a magnesio-lucchesiite composition, described by the formula: (X)(Ca0.49Na0.41K0.04Sr0.020.04)(sigma 1)(Y)(Mg1.87Fe0.952+Ti0.15Fe0.023+V0.02)(sigma 3)(Z)(Al5.49Fe0.513+)(sigma 6)(BO3)(3)((Si6O18)-Si-T)(OH)(3)(W)(O0.81F0.18OH0.01)(sigma 1) with unit cell parameters a = 15.9863(3) angstrom and c = 7.22426(15) angstrom. Both tourmalines show similar refined populations at the Y and Z sites: (Y)[(Fe0.8102+Mg0.680)(sigma 1.490)(Al1.044Fe0.4133+V0.009)(sigma 1.465)Ti-0.045](sigma 3)(Z)(Al4.806Mg1.042Fe0.1523+)(sigma 6) (dravite-oxy-dravite), and (Y)[(Fe0.9452+Mg0.750)(sigma 1.695)(Al0.737Fe0.4043+V0.018)(sigma 1.159)Ti-0.146](sigma 3)(Z)(Al4.749Mg1.115Fe0.1373+)(sigma 6) (magnesio-lucchesiite), with a comparable Mg/(Mg + Fe) ratio of similar to 0.54-0.56, oxidation of Fe expressed as Fe3+/Fe-total ratio similar to 0.36-0.41, and trace components such as Ti, Sr, V, Cr, Ni and Co. The geological history of the eastern Karkonosze region in the Kowary vicinity indicates that both tourmalines crystallised from B-bearing metamorphic fluids mobilised by Variscan prograde metamorphism from the protoliths of the Velka Upa mica schists that host the Budniki amphibolite. The fluids migrated into the tectonised amphibolite enriched in Ti, V, Cr, Ni and Co, and mineralised the fractures within it through deposition of soluble species in the form of quartz-tourmaline veinlets. Magnesio-lucchesiite crystallised in an early retrogression stage, probably from Ca- and F-bearing fluids secondary enriched in B by the dissolution of dravite-oxy-dravite. The Budniki camp is, in addition to the type and co-type magnesio-lucchesiite localities, the third documented occurrence of the species worldwide.

Automated summary

Two tourmaline samples from quartz veinlets in the Karkonosze Mountains, SW Poland, were analyzed using microprobe and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The core sample is composed of dravite-oxy-dravite, while the rim sample is composed of magnesio-lucchesiite. Both tourmalines have similar compositions and crystallized from B-bearing metamorphic fluids. The Budniki camp is the third documented occurrence of magnesio-lucchesiite worldwide.