Abstract:
Chrysocolla and dioptase were considered to be formed from hydrothermal solutions by fluid-rock interaction, but this view was not verified by REE geochemistry. In this study, the REEs contents in these two minerals were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results show that chrysocolla has total REEs of 81 mg/kg, whereas dioptase has total REEs of 0.65 mg/kg. There is obvious fractionation of LREEs from HREEs for chrysocolla and dioptase with LREEs/HREEs ratios of 3.01 and 6.05, and (La/Yb)
N ratios of 3.08 and 7.91, respectively. The chondrite-normalized REEs patterns of two minerals show weak Eu anomalies with
δEu of 0.565 and 0.702, respectively, with LREEs enrichment and flat HREEs, indicating their similar source. Obvious Ce anomaly (
δCe=0.219) of chrysocolla and no Ce anomaly (
δCe=0.949) of dioptase are possibly due to their different crystal structures. Chrysocolla and dioptase inherit the REEs characteristics of the source rocks. These two minerals were formed by fluid-rock interaction under the same oxidized condition.