Mineral characteristics of metacarbonat in Sa Thay, Kon Tum and potential use for gemstone
Ngoc Kim Bui , Hieu Trung Pham, Minh Pham, Phuc Duc Le
Abstract
Metacarbonates located in Sa Thay, Kon Tum massif are distributed in ultramafic marble assemblage from Kham Duc (NP-e1kđ) complex.The main rock-formingminerals arecalcite and dolomite (40÷85%), olivine (5÷20%), pyroxene (5÷15%), and serpentine (5÷25%). Accessory minerals aretalc and epidote. Chemical composition of pyroxene in metacarbonate was determined by EPMA method: the composition of pyroxene is diopsite (Wo49.5 En50.1Fs0.4 to Wo50.8En48.9Fs0.2). The rim of pyroxene grains generally have higher wollastonite than core(49.9÷50.8%).Metacarbonates originated from metamorphic sources with three main stages: regional metamorphism, superimposed metamorphismand hydrothermal metamorphism stages. With each stage, they have different color characteristicsto create a variety of color. Metacarbonateshave quality characteristicsofcolor, durability, pattern, diversity, and low radioactivity. These make the metacarbonates suitable for gemstone applications.