Chemical and boron isotope composition of tourmaline from Koktokay pegmatite, Altay Orogenic Belt, Northwest China: Implications for metallogenic mechanism and prospecting indicator for rare-metal pegmatites

Abstract

The metallogenesis of Li-rich pegmatites remains contentious and an innovative approach for exploring such deposits is needed. The well-known Koktokay pegmatites in the Altay Orogenic Belt exhibit various mineralization degrees and patterns. In this study, we conducted systematic elemental and boron isotope analyses on five tourmaline samples to decipher the metallogenic mechanism and prospecting indicators of rare metal pegmatites. KKTH2 and KKTH3 were collected directly from the magmatic stage and magmatic–hydrothermal stage of the No. 3 pegmatite, KKTH1 was collected from the Aikoz mine pit, and KKTH4 and KKTH5 were collected from a small operational mine near the No. 3 pegmatite. Unlike the No. 3 pegmatite, this mine produces gem crystals but lacks Li mineralization. All tourmalines belong to the alkali group, whereby KKTH1 and KKTH2 are classified as fluor-elbaite, whereas KKTH3 and KKTH4 are schorl. The tourmaline in KKTH5 shows high Al content (up to 45.30 wt%), classifying as mostly rossmanite–elbaite series, with minor amounts of olenite and liddicoatite.

A Rayleigh fractionation model yields a shift in △¹¹B value of 4.8‰ between Zone IV and VI involved more than just magma, as B-isotope fractionation between tourmaline and melt would be <1‰ when temperature drop from 650 °C to 500 °C. It further indicates that different parts of No. 3 pegmatite may have originated from diverse sources.

After comparing the δ¹¹B values of tourmaline in this study with other fertile and barren pegmatite globally, we suggest that δ¹¹B values of tourmaline higher than −10‰ is a potentially useful indicator for Li-rich pegmatites because of the likely relationship with marine evaporite or carbonate rocks in the source. Furthermore, we propose that tourmaline with a V/Sc value lower than 1 and a Li/Sr value higher than 100 can be used as indicators for Li exploration. The extent of Li migration from magma into the hydrothermal stage and mineralized in the residual melt correlates with the salinity of magma, which may reasonably explain the less intense wallrock alteration near the No.3 pegmatite. This finding provides new insight into the use of trace elements and boron isotope composition as a guide for exploring Li-rich pegmatites.