The paper presents the results of mineralogical-petrographic and electron microscopic studies of magnesite rocks of the Murandavskaya Formation (Far East Russia). It is established that the magnesite rocks mainly consist of cryptogranular magnesite, whereas recrystallized carbonates in veins and lenses include dolomite and magnesite. The Zn minerals (hemimorphite Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O, zincsilite Zn3Si4O10(OH)2 · 4H2O, and sphalerite ZnS) are found inside and close to recrystallized carbonates. Galena (PbS), kёsterite (Cu2ZnSnS4) and unidentified Pb-Fe-Sn-Sb sulfosalt and Pd–Cd sulfide occur together with sphalerite, whereas hemimorphite and zincsilite contain fine inclusions of a Hg sulfide. Hemimorphite and zincsilite most likely formed by oxidation of sphalerite.
Keywords: magnesite, zinc silicates, sphalerite, Murandavskaya Formation, Maly Khingan province, Far East Russia.
Funding. This work was supported by state contract no. 122031600292-6.
Acknowledgments. The authors thank E.V. Belogub for consultations and valuable comments.
Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to the manuscript.
Author contributions. E.A. Rozhkova – conceptualization, optical microscopic studies, data collection, writing the manuscript, visualization; M.O. Kim – writing the manuscript; I.A. Blinov – electron microscopy. All authors approved the final version of the article before publication.
For citation: Rozhkova E.A., Kim M.O., Blinov I.A. Zn minerals in magnesite rocks of the Murandavskaya formation, Far East of Russia. Mineralogy, 2025, 11(4), 78–95. https://doi.org/10.35597/2313-545X-2025-11-4-5.

Received 22.10.2025, revised 24.11.2025 accepted 04.12.2025

Elena A. Rozhkova – South Urals Federal Research Center of Mineralogy and Geoecology UB RAS, Miass, Chelyabinsk region, Russia; rozhkova95.lena@yandex.ru
Maya O. Kim – Russian Mining and Chemical Company, Moscow, Russia; mkim616@yandex.ru
Ivan A. Blinov – South Urals Federal Research Center of Mineralogy and Geoecology UB RAS, Miass, Chelyabinsk region, Russia; ivan_a_blinov@mail.ru

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