rotted quartz

[MadMarshall]

Does anyone know ofany good resources in regards to rotted quartz? I am trying to figure out why the quartz is rotted and also why not the whole quartz vein is rotted.

 

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[arizau]

I think the term is "rotten quartz" which to my understanding is/was a quartz deposit that had other mineralization zones that have somehow been dissolved out of the quartz. The process probably stained the quartz and left voids where it was. I am only guessing but the quartz vein may still have some zones where the minerals are still in place and are probably mostly pyrites of some type. If the quartz is a gold ore then all or most of the free milling gold will probably still be in place in the quartz.

 

[MadMarshall]

I'm trying to think on how better to frame my question.. I get what you are saying but what can I attribute to the rotten quartz that makes it unique and able to be rotted? Is it possible that the quartz was formed rotten? or is the rot a different event? Why is the rot intermittent? I used a couple different google searches and I cant say I found the answers I am looking for..

 

[dave wiseman]

Formed by solutions rising and rotted/dissolved sometimes from solutions precipitating downward.You can ask about the intermitant rotting on a geology forum on the web,Do a Google search for a forum board.

 

[calgeologist]

Hey victor do you have any picture of the rotted Quartz? It would help narrow down the reason for the rotting.

There are many reasons why Quartz can weather quickly and irregularly. Both chemical weathering (oxidizing sulfides) and mechanical weathering (fractured Quartz that's undergoes freeze thaw in the winter when water penetrates those fractures). My best guess without seeing any pictures of the vein would he a vein that had a high degree of irregularly deposited sulfides that have been oxidized and are making the Quartz rot.

Hope this helps a little bit. If the Quartz vein location geographically is where I think it may be, I may have another explanation related to the country rock the vein is in.

Cheers

 

[goldenmojo]

I think the deterioration in a seam is from the chlorides or the sulphides/rusting. Lots of seam diggins in the early days. There are pics of pans full of crusty gold that eroded out.

 

[chlsbrns]

Heat pressure and water combined deteriorate quartz.

 

[Goldwasher]

secondary enrichment and the sulfides reacting to water. Very little to do with pressure or heat if at all within the upper layers of the modern geology.
Lack of pressure is more like it.

As the water percs down it carries sulfuric acid with it. Leaving rotten quarts behind. Many times the Iron that is left oxidizes into the "rust" you see.

The cracks available for water to follow get bigger and lead to others. Typically the quartz is already fractured and where it is fractured you get the "rot"

The bullish quartz tends to be less fractured. The impurities I.E. sulfides create relatively weak quarts (calcite too) so it rots there as that is where the reaction is taking place. So, thats where you see it.In some float and veins and not in others. Thats the reason you walk over lots of worthless quartz in our neck of the woods...and tend to notice the rotten stuff.

Pressure and heat have had little effect on that quartz for thousands of years....the relief/lack of pressure at the surface is why it happens.

Oxidizing isn't happening when the original space was being filled by the silica fluid under pressure was filling the voids that turn into quartz veins ant the contact zones they create. The rot happened long after.

Shear zones and seam diggins' highgrade pocket diggins near the surface were all created this way. There is a big difference deeper down. In the mother lode the zone varies south of here they went a lot deeper and were working different quarts vein types but, the similar surface deposits remain and occur for the same reason.

Same sort of thing at 16 to 1 and Empire deeper cleaner more intact veins less exposure to oxygen and acidic percolation.

 

[chlsbrns]

secondary enrichment and the sulfides reacting to water. Very little to do with pressure or heat if at all within the upper layers of the modern geology.
Lack of pressure is more like it.

As the water percs down it carries sulfuric acid with it. Leaving rotten quarts behind. Many times the Iron that is left oxidizes into the "rust" you see.

The cracks available for water to follow get bigger and lead to others. Typically the quartz is already fractured and where it is fractured you get the "rot"

The bullish quartz tends to be less fractured. The impurities I.E. sulfides create relatively weak quarts (calcite too) so it rots there as that is where the reaction is taking place. So, thats where you see it.In some float and veins and not in others. Thats the reason you walk over lots of worthless quartz in our neck of the woods...and tend to notice the rotten stuff.

Pressure and heat have had little effect on that quartz for thousands of years....the relief/lack of pressure at the surface is why it happens.

Oxidizing isn't happening when the original space was being filled by the silica fluid under pressure was filling the voids that turn into quartz veins ant the contact zones they create. The rot happened long after.

Shear zones and seam diggins' highgrade pocket diggins near the surface were all created this way. There is a big difference deeper down. In the mother lode the zone varies south of here they went a lot deeper and were working different quarts vein types but, the similar surface deposits remain and occur for the same reason.

Same sort of thing at 16 to 1 and Empire deeper cleaner more intact veins less exposure to oxygen and acidic percolation.

The usual misinformation unless mindat is wrong.

Quartz Veins
At higher temperatures and pressures quartz is easily dissolved by watery fluids percolating the rock.

https://www.mindat.org/min-3337.html

Being the anhydrite of an acid itself (orthosilicic acid, H4SiO4), quartz will in general not be attacked by acids. The prominent exception is hydrofluoric acid[2], HF, which will decompose quartz to form first silicon fluoride SiF4, then hydrofluorosilicic acid:

http://www.quartzpage.de/gen_chem.html

 

[Goldwasher]

different process creating veins...not what lends to rotten quartz at the surface and just below. Even just where the water table is affects surface level chemical reaction.

Your cherry picked quote is in reference to how veins are formed. Quartz veins are not "formed rotten" it is another process that does that. If your gonna quote something quote it all so the context is obvious.

"Quartz Veins
At higher temperatures and pressures quartz is easily dissolved by watery fluids percolating the rock. When silica-rich solutions penetrate cooler rocks, the silica will precipitate as quartz in fissures, forming thin white seams as well as large veins which may extend over many kilometers (Bons, 2001; Wangen and Munz, 2004, Pati et al, 2007). In most cases, the quartz in these veins will be massive, but they may also contain well-formed quartz crystals. Phyllites and schists often contain thin lenticular or regular veins of so-called "segregation quartz" (Vinx, 2013) that run parallel to the bedding and are the result of local transport of silica during metamorphosis (Chapman, 1950; Sawyer and Robin, 1986). Silica-rich fluids are also driven out of solidifying magma bodies. When these hot brines enter cooler rocks, the solution gets oversaturated in silica, and quartz forms.

Along with the silica, metals are also transported with the brines and precipitate in the veins as sometimes valuable ore minerals. The association of gold and quartz veins is a well known example. Quartz is the most common "gangue mineral" in ore deposits."

Do not start accusing me of anything. I did not quote you or attack you or give my opinion of your intentions to other readers. I can disagree all I want.Or add other info.

Keep it up and I will report you to the mods. I have the right to chime in.

 

[Goldwasher]

Rotten quartz in our area is typically from surface percolation. The veins were formed during a timelong ago and have shifted from later plate and fault activity.

http://thesciencedictionary.org/secondary-enrichment/

In areas that are still influence by hydro thermal activity there will be enriched zones deeper where veins are foming...but, no miner will see them for a long time or if at all.

It is not "the reason" quartz deteriorates though

 

[Goldwasher]

https://www.britannica.com/science/supergene-sulfide-enrichment

 

[chlsbrns]

I searched both links for the word quartz. Neither page has the word quartz.

What is SECONDARY ENRICHMENT? definition of SECONDARY ENRICHMENT (Science Dictionary)

https://www.britannica.com/science/supergene-sulfide-enrichment

 

[MadMarshall]

gentlemen Thanks for your input.. I have come up with a few science papers that I think will help me along my quest..

 

[Goldwasher]

good page... The Quartz Page: Occurrence

there are other good write ups but they are on other prospecting forum so I can't link them

 

[Goldwasher]

I searched both links for the word quartz. Neither page has the word quartz.

What is SECONDARY ENRICHMENT? definition of SECONDARY ENRICHMENT (Science Dictionary)

https://www.britannica.com/science/supergene-sulfide-enrichment

Ha ha ...that doesn't matter. It's about a geologic action that affects many minerals not just quartz...

that made me lol thanks