A.M. AGAEV, R.N. MAMEDALIEV (ASOIU, Azerbaijan), A.A. BAYRAMOV (АIМC, Azerbaijan), E.A. SADIKHOV (CET­MIPT)

Vesuvianite from Gedabek and Shishim skarns: common and distinctive features

The article contains a review and results of analytical studies of vesuvianite from Kedabek (Azerbaijan) and the Shishim mine (the Southern Urals) including crystallographic, crystallochemical and paragenetic features. Lists of minerals from both deposits have been compiled; their similarities and differences have been shown. Elevated CaO contents and low Al₂O₃ is distinctive feature of the Shishim vesuvianite. Occurrence of specific minerals such as thaumasite, monticellite, сhondrodite and a number of ferrous minerals (hematite, magnetite, and ferroacermanite) indicates rich mineral composition of the Shishim mine. On the other hand, the discovery of kaolinite, which is not typical of the Shishim skarns, most likely testifies the post­skarn formation as a result of secondary alteration of alumino-­silicate minerals. High volume of wollastonite in the Kedabek skarns indicates low concentration in post­-magmatic melt of magnesium and especially iron, which also reflected in the chemical composition of the skarns. In the Shishim skarns, the presence of ferrous minerals indicates an increasing role of the subsequent low­-temperature formation stage.
Keywords: vesuvianite, skarns, X­-ray diffraction, mineral paragenesis, Shishim mine, Kedabek.