Elemental Analysis of Imiter

摘要

The recent article, Imiter; Morocco's greatest silver mine by Barral, Favreau and Cheur [Min. Rec. Vol. 42, No. 2] caught my attention for several reasons. Currently, about fifteen enthusiastic individuals in the Tucson area are casually involved in a study group devoted to specimen mineralogy. This article served as an example to study lithophile-, chalcophile- and siderophile-type deposits. Barry and Mason (Mineralogy, 1959) suggest a connection exists between elements and the type of minerals one will be likely to find. Lithophile elements are usually found in various oxygen compounds. Chalcophile elements tend to occur in sulfides while siderophile examples prefer an elemental state. Based on the species list of 70 minerals, we find 53 % to be sulfides and sulfosalts while 25 % are silicates and carbonates.