Low-Crystallinity Index Chalcedony from Longhua, China: Characteristics and Formation

A low-crystallinity index chalcedony was found in the rhyolitic ignimbrite of the Late Jurassic Zhangjiakou Formation, located in Longhua County, Hebei Province, China. This chalcedony occurs as fillings along the fragile fractures of the host rock and is distinct from any other chalcedony deposits, such as the known basalt and carbonate-related types. The host rock is rhyolitic ignimbrite, comprising sanidine (50–70 vol.%), plagioclase (10–15 vol.%), quartz (8–10 vol.%), magnesian biotite (3–5 vol.%), and accessory minerals. The chalcedony appears as long lenticular veins and irregular-shaped bodies, occasionally containing small fragments of the surrounding rock at the boundary. It is colored in yellow, red, and/or white/colorless, with physical properties of specific gravity 2.55–2.56, reflection index of 1.54, Mohs hardness of 6.07–6.34, and weight loss of 1.97%–2.32% by heating. From the boundary to the inner center, its growth structure changes from comb-like macrocrystalline quartz to thin fiber crystallites and then to a relatively uniform cryptocrystalline phase, indicating precipitation from a crystalline to the cryptocrystalline sequence. Electron probe and Raman spectroscopy analyses reveal that the component minerals of the chalcedony are α-quartz and moganite and that the red inclusions are hematite. Quartz in chalcedony exhibits platelet shapes with tiny pores, which are cemented by nanograins, and such a structure is closer to that of opal. It’s crystallinity indexes (CIs) range ~1–3, as indicated by the X-ray diffraction patterns. This low CI and structural features, together with its occurrence, suggest a low temperature of 40°C–80°C during its formation. All these properties show a distinction from those of the most reported chalcedonies. This chalcedony is interpreted as an intermediate transitional type from normal chalcedony to opal, shedding new light on understanding microcrystalline silica mineral aggregate and exploration for a similar gem deposit.