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Corundum primary deposits in Greece occur in four locations: Paranesti in Drama and Gorgona in Xanthi, both belonging to the wider Rhodope Massif, as well as, Ikaria island and Kinidaros in Naxos island, both belonging to Attic-Cycladic Massif. Eight samples were examined with spectroscopic methods (FTIR, UV-Vis, EDXRF) in order to better characterize these four primary deposits: two pink sapphires from Paranesti, a pink and a blue sapphire from Gorgona, two blue sapphires from Ikaria and three blue sapphires from Kinidaros. Under the microscope, all samples present characteristics linked to post-crystallization deformation, decreasing their gem quality. The FTIR absorption spectra of all samples present in different relative intensities, bands of boehmite, diaspore, goethite, mica and/or chlorite inclusions and CO2 in fluid inclusions. Boehmite and diaspore inclusions are most likely epigenetic. In the UV-Vis spectra, the pink color of the samples is linked with Cr3+ absorptions and the blue color with absorptions due to Fe2+-Ti4+ intervalence charge transfer. EDXRF analyses in the studied samples show relatively high titanium and iron concentrations that are related with mineral inclusions. Gallium is slightly variable in samples from different regions, also, different colored samples from Gorgona present diverse gallium content.

International audience; In the Hellenides Orogen, minerals of various gem quality occur in various rock types from mainly four tectono-metamorphic units, the Rhodope, Pelagonian, and the Attico-Cycladic massifs, and the Phyllites-Quartzites unit of Crete Island. In crystalline rocks, gemstones are related to both regional metamorphic-metasomatic processes (e.g., gem corundums, Mn-andalusite, thulite/clinothulite, spessartine, titanite, jadeite), and to the formation of late alpine-type fissures, such as, for example, quartz, albite, adularia and titanite. The Tertiary (and Mesozoic) magmatic-hydrothermal environments provide gem-quality sapphire, beryl, garnet, vesuvianite, epidote, fluorite, and SiO 2 varieties. The supergene oxidation zone of the Lavrion deposit hosts gem-quality smithsonite and azurite. Coloration in the studied material is either due to various chromophore trace elements present in the crystal structure, or due to inclusions of other mineral phases. Future modern exploration methods combined with gemological investigations (such as treatment and faceting of selected stones), are necessary in order to obtain a better knowledge of the gemstone potential of Greece for its possible exploitation.

The Trikorfo area (Thassos Island, Rhodope massif, Northern Greece) represents a unique mineralogical locality with Mn-rich minerals including kyanite, andalusite, garnet and epidote. Their vivid colors and large crystal size make them good indicators of gem-quality materials, although crystals found up to now are too fractured to be considered as marketable gems. The dominant lithology is represented by a garnet&ndash, kyanite&ndash, biotite&ndash, hematite&ndash, plagioclase &plusmn, staurolite &plusmn, sillimanite paragneiss. Thermodynamic Perple_X modeling indicates conditions of ca. 630&ndash, 710 &deg, C and 7.8&ndash, 10.4 kbars. Post-metamorphic metasomatic silicate and calc-silicate (Mn-rich)-minerals are found within (i) green-red horizons with a mineralogical zonation from diopside, hornblende, epidote and grossular, (ii) mica schists containing spessartine, kyanite, andalusite and piemontite, and (iii) weakly deformed quartz-feldspar coarse-grained veins with kyanite at the interface with the metamorphic gneiss. The transition towards brittle conditions is shown by Alpine-type tension gashes, including spessartine&ndash, epidote&ndash, clinochlore&ndash, hornblende-quartz veins, cross-cutting the metamorphic foliation. Kyanite is of particular interest because it is present in the metamorphic paragenesis and locally in metasomatic assemblages with a large variety of colors (zoned blue to green/yellow-transparent and orange). Element analyses and UV-near infrared spectroscopy analyses indicate that the variation in color is due to a combination of Ti4+&ndash, Fe2+, Fe3+ and Mn3+ substitutions with Al3+. Structural and mineralogical observations point to a two-stage evolution of the Trikorfo area, where post-metamorphic hydrothermal fluid circulation lead locally to metasomatic reactions from ductile to brittle conditions during Miocene exhumation of the high-grade host-rocks. The large variety of mineral compositions and assemblages points to a local control of the mineralogy and fO2 conditions during metasomatic reactions and interactions between hydrothermal active fluids with surrounding rocks.

International audience; Greece contains several gem corundum deposits set within diverse geological settings, mostly within the Rhodope (Xanthi and Drama areas) and Attico-Cycladic (Naxos and Ikaria islands) tectono-metamorphic units. In the Xanthi area, the sapphire (pink, blue to purple) deposits are stratiform, occurring within marble layers alternating with amphibolites. Deep red rubies in the Paranesti-Drama area are restricted to boudinaged lenses of Al-rich metapyroxenites alternating with amphibolites and gneisses. Both occurrences are oriented parallel to the ultra-high pressure/high pressure (UHP/HP) Nestos suture zone. On central Naxos Island, colored sapphires are associated with desilicated granite pegmatites intruding ultramafic lithologies (plumasites), occurring either within the pegmatites themselves or associated metasomatic reaction zones. In contrast, on southern Naxos and Ikaria Islands, blue sapphires occur in extensional fissures within Mesozoic metabauxites hosted in marbles. Mineral inclusions in corundums are in equilibrium and/or postdate corundum crystallization and comprise: spinel and pargasite (Paranesti), spinel, zircon (Xanthi), margarite, zircon, apatite, diaspore, phlogopite and chlorite (Naxos) and chloritoid, ilmenite, hematite, ulvospinel, rutile and zircon (Ikaria). The main chromophore elements within the Greek corundums show a wide range in concentration: the Fe contents vary from (average values) 1099 ppm in the blue sapphires of Xanthi, 424 ppm in the pink sapphires of Xanthi, 2654 ppm for Paranesti rubies, 4326 ppm Minerals 2019, 9, 49 2 of 41 for the Ikaria sapphires, 3706 for southern Naxos blue sapphires, 4777 for purple and 3301 for pink sapphire from Naxos plumasite, and finally 4677 to 1532 for blue to colorless sapphires from Naxos plumasites, respectively. The Ti concentrations (average values) are very low in rubies from Paranesti (41 ppm), with values of 2871 ppm and 509 in the blue and pink sapphires of Xanthi, respectively, of 1263 ppm for the Ikaria blue sapphires, and 520 ppm, 181 ppm in Naxos purple, pink sapphires, respectively. The blue to colorless sapphires from Naxos plumasites contain 1944 to 264 ppm Ti, respectively. The very high Ti contents of the Xanthi blue sapphires may reflect submicroscopic rutile inclusions. The Cr (average values) ranges from 4 to 691 ppm in the blue, purple and pink colored corundums from Naxos plumasite, is quite fixed (222 ppm) for Ikaria sapphires, ranges from 90 to 297 ppm in the blue and pink sapphires from Xanthi, reaches 9142 ppm in the corundums of Paranesti, with highest values of 15,347 ppm in deep red colored varieties. Each occurrence has both unique mineral assemblage and trace element chemistry (with variable Fe/Mg, Ga/Mg, Ga/Cr and Fe/Ti ratios). Additionally, oxygen isotope compositions confirm their geological typology, i.e., with, respectively δ 18 O of 4.9 ± 0.2‰ for sapphire in plumasite, 20.5‰ for sapphire in marble and 1‰ for ruby in mafics. The fluid inclusions study evidenced water free CO 2 dominant fluids with traces of CH 4 or N 2 , and low CO 2 densities (0.46 and 0.67 g/cm 3), which were probably trapped after the metamorphic peak. The Paranesti, Xanthi and central Naxos corundum deposits can be classified as metamorphic sensu stricto (s.s.) and metasomatic, respectively, those from southern Naxos and Ikaria display atypical magmatic signature indicating a hydrothermal origin. Greek corundums are characterized by wide color variation, homogeneity of the color hues, and transparency, and can be considered as potential gemstones.

The Lavrion area corresponds to the western part of the Attic-Cycladic metamorphic belt, in the back-arc region of the active Hellenic subduction zone. Between the Eocene and the Miocene, metamorphic rocks (mainly marbles and schists) underwent several stages of metamorphism and deformation due to collision and collapse of the Cycladic belt. Exhumation during the Miocene was accommodated by the movement of a large-scale detachment fault system, which also enhanced emplacement of magmatic rocks, leading to the formation of the famous Lavrion silver deposits. The area around the mines shows the stacking of nappes, with ore deposition mainly localized within the marbles, at marble-schist contacts, below, within, or above the detachment. The Lavrion deposit comprises five genetically-related but different styles of mineralization, a feature never observed in another ore deposit elsewhere, containing the highest number of different elements of any known mining district. The local geology, tectonic, and magmatic activity were fundamental factors in determining how and when the mineralization formed. Other key factors, such as the rise and the fall of sea level, which resulted from climate change over the last million years, were also of major importance for the subsequent surface oxidation at Lavrion that created an unmatched diversity of secondary minerals. As a result, the Lavrion deposit contains 638 minerals of which Lavrion is type-locality for 23 of them, which is nearly 12% of all known species. Apart from being famous for its silver exploitation, this mining district contains more minerals than any other district on Earth. The unique geological, mineralogical, and educational (mining, archaeological, and environmental) features suggest that it is highly suitable to be developed as a future UNESCO Global Geopark.

The Maronia Cu-Mo &plusmn, Re &plusmn, Au deposit is spatially related to a microgranite porphyry that intruded an Oligocene monzonite along the Mesozoic Circum-Rhodope belt in Thrace, NE Greece. The magmatic rocks and associated metallic mineralization show plastic and cataclastic features at the south-eastern margin of the deposit that implies emplacement at the ductile-brittle transition, adjacent to a shear zone at the footwall of the Maronia detachment fault. The conversion from ductile to brittle deformation caused a rapid upward magmatic fluid flow and increased the volume of water that interacted with the host rocks through high permeable zones, which produced extensive zones of potassic and sodic-calcic alteration. Potassic alteration is characterized by secondary biotite + K-feldspar (orthoclase) + magnetite + rutile + quartz &plusmn, apatite and commonly contains sulfides (pyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite). Sodic-calcic alteration consists of actinolite + sodic-calcic plagioclase (albite/oligoclase/andesine) + titanite + magnetite + chlorite + quartz &plusmn, calcite &plusmn, epidote-allanite. The high-oxidation state of the magmas and the hydrothermal fluid circulation were responsible for the metal and sulfur enrichments of the aqueous fluid phase, an increase in O2 gas content, the breakdown of the magmatic silicates and the production of the extensive potassic and sodic-calcic alterations. Brittle deformation also promoted the rapid upward fluid flow and caused interactions with the surrounding host rocks along the high temperature M-, EB-, A- and B-type veins.

The color of quartz and other minerals can be either caused by defects in the crystal structure or by finely dispersed inclusions of other minerals within the crystals. In order to investigate the mineral chemistry and genesis of the famous prase (green quartz) and amethyst association from Serifos Island, Greece, we used electron microprobe analyses and oxygen isotope measurements of quartz. We show that the color of these green quartz crystals is caused by small and acicular amphibole inclusions. Our data also shows that there are two generations of amphibole inclusions within the green quartz crystals, which indicate that the fluid, from which both amphiboles and quartz have crystallized, must have had a change in its chemical composition during the crystallization process. The electron microprobe data also suggests that traces of iron may be responsible for the amethyst coloration. Both quartz varieties are characterized by isotopic compositions that suggest mixing of magmatic and meteoric/marine fluids. The contribution of meteoric fluid is more significant in the final stages and reflects amethyst precipitation under more oxidizing conditions.