Mineralogy of Skarn Ores from Bi?a-Bihor, Northern Apuseni Mountains, Romania: A Case Study of Cu-, Bi-, and Sn-minerals

The Antoniu, Antoniu North, and Blidar Contact orebodies from the Bi?a-Bihor skarn deposit, Romania have been investigated using optical and electron microscopy. Electron probe microanalyses were acquired on samples from the Blidar Contact orebody. Bornite is the most abundant Cu-sulfide and hosts native bismuth, joseite-B, emplectite, and wittichenite. Kesterite and ferrokesterite were identified for the first time in the Bi?a-Bihor deposit; the occurrence of stannite was also confirmed. Temperatures of ore deposition in the Blidar Contact orebody are constrained from the compositions of sphalerite-kesterite and sphalerite-ferrokesterite pairs at 287 +/- 25 degrees C to 310 +/- 35 degrees C, and 447 +/- 17 degrees C to 503 +/- 68 degrees C, respectively.