The Ancient Lavrion Mining District, Greece

24 April 2013

Kristalle and Crystal Classics were proud to announce the recent acquisition of the Lavrion mineral collection of Wolfgang and Karin Wendel (Germany). This collection is one of the most comprehensive assemblages of Lavrion minerals in the world, with most specimens collected in the 1990s.

A fine specimen of Smithsonite, from the Lavrion Mines.

The Lavrion Mining District is situated on the Adriatic coast of modern day Greece in the Attica Prefecture, 40km west of Athens. Lavrion is now a major port, and a rapidly growing area in Greece.

Satellite Image of Greece (Wikimedia Commons)

A basic map showing the Lavrion area in Greece (Wikimedia Commons)

The Lavrion Mining District is a mecca for mineral collectors from all over the world. The mines are well known for stunning, brightly coloured specimens of supergene minerals. Particularly fine specimens of Smithsonite, Azurite, Annabergite, Adamite, Agardite, Mixite, Spangolite, and of course Serpierite have been produced from the mines. The area is also noted for rare species, and is the type locality for 22 mineral species. The Lavrion Mines are likely to continue to produce new and exciting species in the future.

HISTORY

The Lavrion Mining District has been dated to the Early Bronze Age at about 3200-2800BC and is considered to be the earliest recorded site for the extraction of ore in Europe. From the recorded history of the mines (thanks to the Athenians) after a perceived lull there was an upsurge of mining activity in about 500BC. At this time Silver output was so vast that the Athenians are thought to have constructed statues from pure Silver. The production of Silver at this time led to the ability to finance a large fleet of triremes to protect the both mines and the city state from invaders. In the early 4th century BC Athens was engaged in a war with Sparta, pushing the mines of Lavrion into a decline for over 850 years, until the early Byzantine Period. In this early period the mines began again to be actively worked for Silver, although it appears for only a short time. It is likely the mines then remained unworked for over 1300 years. In 1821 the Greeks began a war of independence against the Turkish Ottoman Empire who had ruled Greece for the previous 400 years, which lasted for 9 years with independence gained in 1830. It was not until 1859 that renewed interest was shown in the mines, when Andreas Cordellas was sent to ascertain the likelihood of reopening them. The report given to the Greek government was evidently a glowing one regarding the reworking of the ancient smelt slag. The Greek Metal Works Company of Lavrion was set up in 1873 with the purpose to recover the metals still held in the poorly smelted slags. The Greek company continued to process the old smelt slag until 1917. At about the same time (1875) that this company began work on the recovery of metals in the ancient slags, a French company called Compagnie Francaise des Mines du Laurium took an interest in the remaining orebodies in the area. The mines came into the ownership of Giovanni Battista Serpieri (1832-1897), after whom the mineral Serpierite is named. Not only did the French company extend development on known ore bodies, but they also discovered new reserves. Mining in the area continued until 1982 when all work was stopped and the mine closed for the last time. The result of thousands of years of mining activity is a labyrinth of underground passages believed to be nearly 2000km in extent.

GEOLOGY

The Lavrion area is part of the Attic–Cycladic metamorphic belt, an Alpine orogeny of the Hellenides. The area is believed to have been formed in the Late Cretaceous – Late Eocene with greenschist to amphibolite facies. The formation of Marble and Skarns is associated with thermal contact metamorphism with granite plutons which intruded in the Late Miocene. The large polymetallic sulphide deposition is associated with the granite pluton emplacement, and NW-SE trending tension faults which resulted in channel ways which facilitated the ascension of hot metal-rich fluids at temperatures of 125-280C into the Marble (‘manto-type’ or pipe-like formations of deposition) and Hornfels (deposition association with faulting). One of the controlling factors for the emplacement of the ore bodies in the Marble is believed to be the welling of the metal-rich fluids under the impermeable beds of Schist which overlay the Marble. The hot hydrothermal fluids formed solution cavities by dissolving the Marble, and these host the large polymetallic Sulphide ore bodies.

A major feature of the Lavrion mines is the extensive oxidation of the ore bodies due to uplift of the area in the faulting period, the water table standing at about 5mts above sea level. Oxidation of the ore bodies is estimated to reach a depth of over 250mts. Oxidation of the remaining ore bodies is still in action, as can be seen by the formation of various hydrated Sulphate minerals, such as Chalcanthite, Melanterite.

MINERALS

The extensive oxidation of the polymetallic ore bodies has lead to the formation of a wide range of supergene minerals - the outstanding feature of the Lavrion Mines. A comprehensive list of the minerals that have been found is available at www.Mindat.org. The mines developed large altered ore bodies rich in the Carbonate minerals Smithsonite, Malachite, and Azurite.

Smithsonite. From the Lavrion Mines

 

Bright royal blue crystals of Azurite completely cover Calcite crystals. From the Christiana Mine.

 

Stalactitic velvety green Malachite on crystals of Azurite. From the Christiana Mine

 

Excellent sky blue crystals of Aurichalcite. From the Agia Varvara Mines.

 

Slightly blue stalactitic Calcite. From the Hilarion Mine.

 

A rich crystal specimen of Azurite with Malachite on Goethite Gossan. From the Christiana Mine.

 

The Lavrion Mines are also well known for the varied suite of colourful Arsenate mineral species, including Adamite, Conichalcite, and several rarities.

 

Cuprian Adamite. This specimen was depicted on the front cover of German Magazine Lapis in the 19999 Lavrion issue. From the Serpieri Mine.

 

Light apple green Austinite. From the Christiana Mine.

Olivenite From the Christiana Mine.

 

 

Intergrown crystals of classic Annabergite. From the Km3 Mine.

 

Hemispheres of intergrown Cuprian Adamite on probable Gibbsite. From the Hilarion Mine.

 

A large specimen of excellent Mixite crystals. From the Hilarion Mine.

 

Radial intergrown crystals of Olivenite. From the Christiana Mine.

 

Cuprian Adamite. From the Christiana mine.

 

White Austinite on green Cuprian Austinite. From the Christiana Mine.

 

Bright blue radial crystal groups of Lavendulan. From the Hilarion Mine.

Another feature of the Lavrion Mines is the variety of Adamite that have been found, including Cuprian Adamite, Nickeloan Adamite, Manganoan Adamite, Cobaltoan Adamite and Aluminium Adamite.

A rich specimen of green Nickeloan Adamite. From the Km3 Mine.

Cuprian Adamite From the Hilarion Mine.

Pinkish crystals of Manganoan Adamite from the Lavrion Mines.

Not only has the Lavrion Mines furnished specimens of the preceding minerals, the Mines are also known for a variety of Sulphate species including Gypsum, Chalcanthite, Serpierite (type locality), Develline, and Spangolite.

 

Excellent crystals of Gypsum. From the Lavrion Mines.

 

Crystals of Spangolite richly covering the matrix with royal blue Azurite from the Jean Baptiste Mine.

Intergrown crystal sprays of Serpierite from the Type locality at the Serpieri Mine.
This specimen is depicted on page 9 of the 1999 Lavrion issue of Lapis.

 

Light blue crystal spherulites of Develline with Gypsum from the Jean Baptiste Mine.

 

Well formed crystals of Brochantite. From the Christiana Mine, this specimen was depicted in the Lapis Lavrion issue 1999 on page 39.

 

The mines at Lavrion are well regarded for the number of rare and less well known minerals for the location.

 

Bright orange tabular crystals of Wulfenite. From the Adami No2 Mine, Plaka.

 

Yellow-green Chenevixite with green Conichalcite. From the Christiana Mine.

 

Stibnite crystal groups on Schist. From the Adami No2 Mine, Plaka.

 

Crystal of bi-coloured Vanadinite on Calcite. From the Adami No2 Mine, Plaka.
The specimen is depicted in the Lapis Lavrion Issue of 1999 on page 51.

A polished specimen showing the banded structure of Native Arsenic and Stibarsen. From the Adami No2 Mine, Plaka.

 

The mines also produced crystal specimens of Calcite as the major vein mineral with subordinate amounts of Fluorite crystals.

 

Cubic crystals of Fluorite arching over a Calcite lined hollow. From the Maria Mine.

 

Crystals of typical Calcite on Quartz. From the Megala Pefka Mine.

 

Yellow Smithsonite on Fluorite. From the Serpieri Mine.

 

Snow white Calcite on Fluorite. From the Maria mine.

 

The Lavrion Collection also included many specimens of the much rarer minerals such as Picropharmacolite, Embolite, Warikahnite, Meixnerite, Ojuelaite, Gordaite, These rare species will form part of a website update in the future, as many need to be confirmed by analytical methods.

As time goes by this article will be further expanded with new additions.

We hope you have enjoyed this short article on the Lavrion Mines and the minerals that come from them.

References

 

Katerinopoulos, A. & Zissimopoulou, E. (1994): Minerals of the Lavrion mines. The Greek Association of Mineral and Fossil Collectors, Athens, Greece, 304 pp. (in Greek)

Elbin, K. and Wendel, W. (1996): Lavendulan aus Laurion. Lapis: 21(11): 42-43 (in German).

Markl, G. (1999):Die Geologie der Vererzungen von Lavrion, Griechenland. Lapis, 24 (7-8), 20-23 (in German).

Rieck, B. (1999) Seltene Arsenate aus der Kamariza und weitere Neufunde aus Lavrion. Lapis: 24(7-8): 68-76, 90 (in German).

Wendel, W. and Markl, G. (1999): Lavrion: mineralogische Klassiker und Raritäten für Sammler. Lapis 24 (7-8), 34-52; 90.

Author: Steve Rust
Categories: News & Information