GOLD-THALLIUM PARAGENEZIS OF THE KHOKHOYSKOE DEPOSIT (ALDAN SHIELD)

Further study of the mineralogy of the Khokhoi gold deposit is due to the fact that thallium minerals (weissbergite, avicennite, yankovicite, parapierotite) were discovered in its ores for the first time in Yakutia, and most importantly, a new mineral amgaite was discovered - the first natural compound of thallium with tellurium, along with them were found unidentified thallium antimonates. Thallium minerals are indicators of high-quality gold ores and are characteristic of Carlin-type deposits, all this attracts a lot of attention to them. Most thallium minerals in the Khokhoi deposit are represented by supergene minerals (oxides, tellurates and antimonates), sulfides and sulfosalts occur sporadically. Avicennite, amgaite and unidentified thallium antimonate have a colloform and kidney-shaped texture with a concentrically and rhythmically zonal, kidney-shaped and spherulitic structure of the aggregate. This indicates their simultaneous formation from colloidal solutions, rhythmic crystallization and partly replacement. Moreover, they are the main concentrators of the deposit's native gold. Selective intense (sometimes finely dispersed) saturation with gold is noted in amgaite, less commonly in avicennite, and thallium antimonates contain almost no gold. The close paragenesis of gold and amgaite is associated with the presence of tellurium in its composition, an important absorbent of gold.