Ferrantia, Volume 49: Inventaire Minéralogique du Luxembourg: Stolzembourg, Schimpach, Goesdorf [Mineralogical Inventory of Luxembourg: Stolzembourg, Schimpach, Goesdorf]

About this book

Language: French, with trilingual abstract in English, French, and German

Contains the following three contributions:

Steve Bornain & Simon Philippo et al: La Minéralisation en Cuivre de Stolzembourg
The Copper Mine near Stolzembourg and its particular mineralogy represents a treasure of our national natural heritage and a fascinating field of study. Since 1986, the MNHNL (National museum of Natural History from Luxembourg) showed a scientific interest for this occurrence, close to Vianden: the geological path "Mir gin op d’Grouf", the PhD thesis of Steve Bornain in 2003, the mineral exhibit of its collection in the Koffergrouf museum since 1999,...

This publication is a synthesis of the data published and collected for ower 10 years. The chemical and mineralogical analyses made it possible to specify the paragenesis of the site and the geophysics prospects made it possible to describe perfectly the structural context of the deposit.

In 1948, Michel Lucius concluded its chapter on Stolzembourg with the following remarks: “detailed tectonics of the lode would need a close study. It’s understood that the disturbances with or without throw, are numerous in an area also strongly dislocated like Oesling. For this reason, the lode can present deviations and splitting. Many cross-cuts should therefore be made, especially in the lower part of the mine."

Almost sixty years later, this publication brings the answers hoped by Lucius. The entire work done by the MNHNL and his scientific collaborators is yielding a positive discussion basis regarding the results of P. Antun, E. Staud, P. Nix, S. Bornain and many other scientists having studied this occurrence. With a deposit dated from the post-variscan Period, the Stolzembourg lode is put in a chronological context precisely delimited by the various group of faults. The first one opens the fractures in which the ore will crystallize and the second one will reject it subsequently.


Guy Kronz & Simon Philippo: Une seconde occurrence mondiale de gravegliaite et une première occurrence nationale d’or, Schimpach, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg

The national museum of natural history of Luxembourg was interested in the quartz deposit of Schimpach for three reasons:
- in its collections, some quartz specimens covered with a yellow coating where labelled “Schimpach station“.
- in 1950, Lucius mentioned for this locality quartz crystals up to eight centimetres.
- Schimpach is located only a few kilometres away from the famous quartz deposit of Bastogne.

Three good reasons to start a scientific investigation about this locality. The study of the Niederwampach slate quarry and the surrounding area lead us to describe, associated with quartz, the worldwide second occurrence of gravegliaite.Furthermore we took the opportunity to make an extensive study of the quartz crystals. Studies of the alluvia of the river Wiltz, that flows at the bottom of the quartz deposit, enabled us to bring into evidence a small gold placer and thus describe for the first time an occurrence of gold on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.


Alain Hanson & Simon Philippo: La minéralisation en antimoine de Goesdorf

The antimony deposit of Goesdorf is very badly known. Until this day, no scientific publication, except the one of Lucius in 1948, describes this mineralogically exceptional deposit. However, it is one of the oldest mines of the country because the first concession was given in 1527.

Since 1997, the national Museum for natural history of Luxembourg is investigating this locality. Many research projects related to the mine and its surroundings are being carried through: geophysical prospection, geological and structural surveys, mineralogical research and analysis… This paper is the compilation of all of these data. This publication is partially based on the graduation paper of Nies (2005). This work made it possible to compile the data of the museum and to frame it in complementary geological and structural surveys.

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