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Distinctive properties of rock-forming blue quartz: inferences from a multi-analytical study of submicron mineral inclusions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

W. Seifert ,
D. Rhede ,
R. Thomas ,
H.-J. Förster ,
F. Lucassen ,
P. Dulski  and
R. Wirth
W. Seifert*
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ), Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany
D. Rhede
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ), Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany
R. Thomas
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ), Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany
H.-J. Förster
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ), Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany
F. Lucassen
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ), Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany
P. Dulski
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ), Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany
R. Wirth
Affiliation:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ), Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany
*
*E-mail: ws@gfz-potsdam.de
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Abstract

The study discusses the mineralogical, geochemical and thermometric properties of rock-forming blue quartz from eight worldwide occurrences. Compared to non-blue quartz, blue quartz contains significant amounts of submicron-sized (1 μm—100 nm) and nanometre-sized (<100 nm) inclusions. Mica, ilmenite and rutile constitute the most abundant submicron-sized inclusions, and are formed probably by syngenetic precipitation in the boundary layer between quartz and melt (entrapment model). Nanometre-sized rutile possibly originated by epigenetic exsolution of Ti from the quartz structure (exsolution model). Rayleigh scattering of light by nano-particulate inclusions best explains the origin of the blue colour. Blue quartz is generally Ti-rich (∼100—300 ppm) and formed at high temperatures (∼700°C—900°C). The large number, and high spatial density, of tiny xenocrystic inclusions of Ti-bearing minerals make calculations of crystallization temperatures using the Ti-in-quartz thermometer unreliable. The geological significance of blue quartz remains obscure.

Keywords

blue quartzsubmicron inclusionsentrapmentexsolutionTi-in-quartz thermometry
Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 75 , Issue 4 , August 2011 , pp. 2519 - 2534
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2011

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Petrographic images of samples containing blue quartz

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