Banská Štiavnica (Schemnitz), Banská Štiavnica Co., Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia

• Display
  • Standard
  • Detailed
  • By Strunz Category
  • By Dana Category
• Photos
  • Mineral Photos (764)
  • - Full View (703)
  • - Photomicrograph (55)
  • - Stacked Photomicrograph (5)
  • - Mineral in Situ (1)
  • Site Photos (123)
  • - Modern Site Photo (115)
  • - Historical Site Photo (3)
  • - Workings Cross-Section (1)
  • - Location Map (1)
  • - Other Documentation (3)
  • Miscellaneous Photos (7)
  • - Artwork (7)
  • Add Photo
• Maps
  • Map Pages
• Search
  • Mineral Search
  • Search Google

Banská Štiavnica, okres Banská Štiavnica, Banskobystrický kraj, Slovenská republika

Vein-type epithermal precious metal and base metal deposit.
Old German name is Schemnitz.

The Banská Štiavnica ore district is in the central zone of the largest stratovolcano (diameter 50 km2, with a caldera in its centre, with a diameter of 20 km2), in the Central Slovakia Neogene Volcanic Field.

The following types of ore deposits (mineralizations) have been identified in the Banská Štiavnica ore district (Lexa et al., 1999):

1. Quartz-pyrophyllite-pyrite high-sulphidation system at Šobov, related to the diorite intrusion.

2. Magnetite skarn deposits and occurrences at contacts of the granodiorite pluton with Mesozoic carbonate rocks. Magnetite ores occur as lenses in the calcic skarns.

3. Stockwork/disseminated base metal deposit along an irregular network of fractures in apical parts of the granodiorite pluton and in remnants of basement rocks: sphalerite and galena and minor chalcopyrite and pyrite. In overlying andesites the mineralization is accompanied by metasomatic quartzites and argillites with pyrophyllite, kaolinite, illite and pyrite.

4. Porphyry/skarn copper deposits and occurrences related to granodiorite/quartz-diorite porphyry dyke clusters and stocks around the granodiorite intrusion. The mineralized zone is represented by accumulations of chalcopyrite in exo- and endo-skarns, usually of the magnesian type affected by serpentinization. Besides chalcopyrite, pyrhotite, minor bornite, chalcocite, tennantite and magnetite, rare molybdenite and gold are present. The alteration pattern around productive intrusions includes an external zone of propylitization, a zone of argillitic alteration (kaolinite – illite – pyrite) and an internal zone of phyllic alteration (quartz – sericite – pyrite). Biotitization is rare and limited to porphyry intrusions.

5. Intrusion related “mesothermal” gold deposit in an andesitic environment just above the granodiorite intrusion. Gold of high fineness with base metal mineralization is contained in brecciated and/or banded quartz veins of subhorizontal orientation, parallel to the surface of granodiorite pluton. At least the first phase of mineralization is older than quartz-diorite porphyry sills, which separate granodiorite and blocks of mineralized andesite.

6. Hot spring type advanced argillic systems in the caldera filling. Silicites and opalites accompanied by kaolinite, alunite and pyrite grade downward into smectite dominated argillites.

7. Vein type epithermal precious/base metal deposits and occurrences as a result of the long lasting interaction among structural evolution of the resurgent horst and evolving hydrothermal system, extensive intrusive complex and deep seated siliceous magma chamber serving as heat and magmatic fluid source. Three types of epithermal veins occur in a zonal arrangement:
(a) base metal veins ± Au with transition to Cu ± Bi mineralization at depth in the east/central part of the horst,
(b) Ag – Au veins with minor base metal mineralization and
(c) Au – Ag veins located at marginal faults of the horst. Isotopic composition of oxygen and hydrogen in hydrothermal fluids indicate mixing of magmatic and meteoric component (with generally increasing proportion of meteoric component towards younger mineralization periods?). Veins are accompanied by zones of silicification, adularization and sericitization, indicating a low sulphidation environment.

8.  Replacement base metal mineralization of a limited extent in the Mesozoic carbonate rocks next to sulphide rich epithermal base metal veins.

Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

Acanthite 'Agalmatolite' Aikinite Allophane Alunogen Amphibole Supergroup Anatase Andersonite Anglesite Anhydrite Ankerite Aragonite Arcubisite Arsenopyrite Augite Azurite Baryte Bieberite Bornite Boulangerite Brianyoungite Brochantite Calcite var: Manganoan Calcite Celestine Cerussite Chalcanthite Chalcocite Chalcopyrite 'Chlorite Group' Chrysocolla Cinnabar Coffinite Copiapite Coquimbite Covellite

Cristobalite Devilline Diadochite Diaspore Dolomite Epidote Epsomite Ferberite Fluorapatite Fluorite Freibergite Galena 'Ganomatite' Goethite Gold var: Electrum Goslarite Gypsum 'Halloysite' Halotrichite Hauerite Hematite Hemimorphite Heteromorphite Ice Illite Inesite Jamesonite Jarosite Kaolinite 'K Feldspar var: Adularia' Kutnohorite 'Limonite' Linarite Magnesite Malachite

Marcasite Matildite Mckinstryite Melanterite Mercury Miargyrite Montmorillonite Muscovite var: Sericite Natrojarosite Natrozippeite Opal var: Opal-AN Ourayite 'Parisite' Pearceite Pharmacosiderite 'Pitticite' Polybasite Proustite Pyrargyrite Pyrite Pyrolusite Pyromorphite Pyrophyllite Pyrostilpnite Pyrrhotite Quartz var: Amethyst var: Carnelian var: Chalcedony var: Citrine var: Jasper var: Rock Crystal var: Rose Quartz var: Sceptre Quartz var: Smoky Quartz

Quenstedtite Realgar Rectorite Rhodochrosite Rhodonite Römerite Rutile Scheelite 'Schirmerite' Schorl Serpierite Siderite Silver 'Smectite Group' Sphalerite var: Cleiophane Stephanite Stibnite 'Stilbite' Szomolnokite Tennantite Tetrahedrite Todorokite 'Tourmaline' Uraninite Vanadinite Voltaite 'Wolframite' Wulfenite Zellerite Zinczippeite Zircon Zunyite var: Dillnite

160 entries listed. 113 valid minerals. 1 erroneous literature entry.

Localities in this Region

Slovakia Banská Bystrica Region Banská Štiavnica Co. Banská Štiavnica (Schemnitz) Bieber vein Červená Studňa Ferdinand adit Nová shaft Šobov Quarry Terézia adit (Weiden mine) Valaská adit

References