PRECIOUS METALS IN BASE METAL SULFIDE DEPOSITS

Based on the fact that there exist a lot of precious metak, mainly gold a nd silver, in the modern submarine hydrothermal mineralization svstems and the ancient massive sulfide deposits, this paper emphasizes the importance of these precious metals in the base metal deposits, both geologically and economically. It also studies the distribution features of Au and Ag in sulfide minerals, in ores, in orebodies and in different types of deposits respectively, The phenomenta of Au coexisting with Cu and Pb (Zn) coexistiong with Ag give us a useful clue that precious (or base) metal deposits can be used as indicators to find base (or precious) metal deposits.