Mineral Evolution Database
Created and maintained by the Mineral Evolution Project in partnership with RRUFF and mindat.
Mineral locality data provided by mindat.org

Important Update News

The RRUFF Project has been migrated to RRUFF.net. Please update your bookmarks immediately, if you have not done so.

The data on this website is already three years out of date, and the entire website will be taken offline before the end of the year.

We are grateful to NASA for the funding of this effort.




The Mineral Evolution database is currently under development.

The goal of this page is to present localities at which the mineral is found, and estimates of the oldest possible geologic age of the minerals at these localities.


Locality Name:
Baksan Valley, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia

Oldest recorded age at locality: 542
Youngest recorded age at locality: 1.9

mindat Locality ID: 22261
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-22261.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Baksan Valley, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia": 12
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 9

Number of Child Localities: 5
Child Localities:
Cheget Mt
Subashi Prospect
Tyrnyauz Mo-W Deposit
Tyrnyauz Mo-W Deposit (Tyrny Auz Deposit)
Upper Chegem Volcanic Caldera (Verkhnechegemskaya Caldera)

Latitude: 43°17'14"N
Longitude: 42°46'16"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): 43.287222222222,42.771111111111
AThis mineral is Anthropogenic.
GThis mineral is directly dated.
BThis mineral is reported as having this age.
YThis mineral is using an age reported as an element mineralization period.
OThis mineral is using an age calculated from all data at the locality.
RThe age displayed for this mineral originates from a different, non-child locality.
PThe age displayed for this mineral is the range of ages for this mineral at all of this locality's children.
This mineral's age has not yet been recorded.

This Mineral list contains entries from this locality, including sub-localities. Minerals in bold are reported by mindat.org as occurring directly at this locality, and do not occur at any children (sublocalities) of this locality.

Elements at this locality, including sub-localities: Ag Al As Au B Bi C Ca Cl Co Cu F Fe H K Li Mg Mn Mo Na O P Pb S Sb Si Sn Te Ti U W Zn Zr 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AllophaneAmphiboleAndalusiteApatiteAragoniteArsenicArsenopyriteBrochantiteBrownmilleriteBrucite
CalciteChalcanthiteChalcopyriteClayClinozoisiteCobaltiteCopperCorundumCubaniteDiaspore
EpidoteEpsomiteEttringiteFeldsparFluoriteGadoliniteGarnetGypsumHumiteHydrotalcite
IlvaiteLepidocrociteMalachiteMatlockiteMayeniteMolybdeniteNeptuniteNickelineNoneNot in a structural group
OlivinePerovskitePyritePyroxeneQuartzRhodoniteRocksaltRutileScheeliteSmectite-vermiculite
SphaleriteSpinelSpurrite-AfwilliteStibniteStilpnomelaneTetradymiteTobermoriteVesuvianiteWollastoniteWurtzite
Wöhlerite

119 IMA Minerals at location:
Actinolite  (*)Aegirine  (*)Afwillite  (*)Aklimaite  (*)Alabandite  (*)
Albite  (*)Allophane  (*)Andalusite  (*)Andradite  (*)Aragonite  (*)
Arsenopyrite  (*)Baksanite  (*)Bismuth  (*)Bismuthinite  (*)Bitikleite  (*)
Böhmite  (*)Brochantite  (*)Brucite  (*)Bultfonteinite  (*)Bustamite  (*)
Calcio-olivine  (*)Calcite  (*)Chalcanthite  (*)Chalcocite  (*)Chalcopyrite  (*)
Chegemite  (*)Chlorkyuygenite  (*)Cobaltite  (*)Cubanite  (*)Cuspidine  (*)
Datolite  (*)Diopside  (*)Dovyrenite  (*)Dzhuluite  (*)Edgrewite  (*)
Elbrusite  (*)Eltyubyuite  (*)Epidote  (*)Epsomite  (*)Ettringite  (*)
Ferrimolybdite  (*)Fluorapatite  (*)Fluorchegemite  (*)Fluorite  (*)Galena  (*)
Galuskinite  (*)Goethite  (*)Gold  (*)Grossular  (*)Gypsum  (*)
Hedenbergite  (*)Hematite  (*)Hillebrandite  (*)Huntite  (*)Hydrocalumite  (*)
Hydroxyledgrewite  (*)Hydroxylellestadite  (*)Ilmenite  (*)Ilvaite  (*)Ingodite  (*)
Irinarassite  (*)Jennite  (*)Joséite-A  (*)Kerimasite  (*)Killalaite  (*)
Kimzeyite  (*)Kumtyubeite  (*)Lakargiite  (*)Larnite  (*)Magnesioferrite  (*)
Magnesioneptunite  (*)Magnetite  (*)Malachite  (*)Maldonite  (*)Megawite  (*)
Microcline  (*)Molybdenite  (*)Neptunite  (*)Pavlovskyite  (*)Periclase  (*)
Perovskite  (*)Plombièrite  (*)Powellite  (*)Pyrite  (*)Pyrrhotite  (*)
Quartz  (*)Reinhardbraunsite  (*)Rhodonite  (*)Rickardite  (*)Rondorfite  (*)
Rorisite  (*)Rusinovite  (*)Rutile  (*)Saponite  (*)Scheelite  (*)
Sergeevite  (*)Sharyginite  (*)Silver  (*)Sphalerite  (*)Spurrite  (*)
Srebrodolskite  (*)Stilpnomelane  (*)Sturmanite  (*)Sulphotsumoite  (*)Tazheranite  (*)
Tetradymite  (*)Thaumasite  (*)Toturite  (*)Trabzonite  (*)Tsumoite  (*)
Tungstenite  (*)Usturite  (*)Vesuvianite  (*)Vorlanite  (*)Wadalite  (*)
Wittichenite  (*)Wollastonite  (*)Xonotlite  (*)Zeophyllite  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Actinolite  (*)Amphibole   Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe2+0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2300511021763419
Aegirine  (*)PyroxeneNaFe3+Si2O63311021811022
Afwillite  (*)Spurrite-AfwilliteCa3[SiO4][SiO2(OH)2]·2H2O32.33102177,102179,10218041
Aklimaite  (*)Not in a structural groupCa4[Si2O5(OH)2](OH)4·5H2O32.311021791
Alabandite  (*)RocksaltMnS30051102176312
Albite  (*)FeldsparNa(AlSi3O8)3311021818803
Allophane  (*)AllophaneAl2O3(SiO2)1.3-2.0·2.5-3.0H2O331102178470
Andalusite  (*)AndalusiteAl2SiO511021711310
Andradite  (*)GarnetCa3Fe3+2(SiO4)35422.33102174,102176,1021771534
Aragonite  (*)AragoniteCa(CO3)3311021783250
Arsenopyrite  (*)ArsenopyriteFeAsS300511021769052
Baksanite  (*)TetradymiteBi6Te2S354225111021744
Bismuth  (*)ArsenicBi300511021761966
Bismuthinite  (*)StibniteBi2S354252102174,1021761935
Bitikleite  (*)GarnetCa3(SbSn)(AlO4)332.311021791
Böhmite  (*)LepidocrociteAlO(OH)331102178195
Brochantite  (*)BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)654225111021751633
Brucite  (*)BruciteMg(OH)232.32102178,102180462
Bultfonteinite  (*)Spurrite-AfwilliteCa2SiO3(OH)F·H2O32.33102177,102179,10218220
Bustamite  (*)WollastoniteMn2Ca2MnCa(Si3O9)230051102176101
Calcio-olivine  (*)OlivineCa2(SiO4)32.311021808
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)54233102174,102176,10217827770
Chalcanthite  (*)ChalcanthiteCu(SO4)·5H2O5422511102175925
Chalcocite  (*)NoneCu2S300511021765707
Chalcopyrite  (*)ChalcopyriteCuFeS23005110217627198
Chegemite  (*)HumiteCa7(SiO4)3(OH)232.33102177,102179,1021822
Chlorkyuygenite  (*)MayeniteCa12Al14O32[(H2O)4Cl2]32.32102177,1021791
Cobaltite  (*)CobaltiteCoAsS30051102176966
Cubanite  (*)Cubanite WurtziteCuFe2S330051102176802
Cuspidine  (*)WöhleriteCa8(Si2O7)2F43002.35102176,102177,102179,102180,10218267
Datolite  (*)GadoliniteCaB(SiO4)(OH)30051102176498
Diopside  (*)PyroxeneCaMgSi2O6300511021764135
Dovyrenite  (*)NoneCa6Zr(Si2O7)2(OH)432.311021772
Dzhuluite  (*)GarnetCa3(SbSn)(Fe3+O4)332.311021791
Edgrewite  (*)HumiteCa9(SiO4)4F232.311021791
Elbrusite  (*)GarnetCa3(U6+0.5Zr1.5)(Fe3+O4)332.33102177,102179,1021802
Eltyubyuite  (*)MayeniteCa12Fe3+10Si4O32Cl632.32102177,1021795
Epidote  (*)Epidote ClinozoisiteCa2(Al2Fe3+)[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)300511021768173
Epsomite  (*)EpsomiteMg(SO4)·7H2O5422511102175484
Ettringite  (*)EttringiteCa6Al2(SO4)3(OH)12·27H2O32.33102177,102178,10218293
Ferrimolybdite  (*)NoneFe3+2(Mo6+O4)3·7H2O30051102176345
Fluorapatite  (*)ApatiteCa5(PO4)3F300511021762740
Fluorchegemite  (*)HumiteCa7(SiO4)3F232.32102177,1021792
Fluorite  (*)FluoriteCaF23002.33102176,102179,1021829617
Galena  (*)RocksaltPbS3005110217624243
Galuskinite  (*)Not in a structural groupCa7(SiO4)3(CO3)32.311021772
Goethite  (*)DiasporeFeO(OH)300511021767437
Gold  (*)CopperAu54252102174,10217630554
Grossular  (*)GarnetCa3Al2(SiO4)3300511021761544
Gypsum  (*)GypsumCa(SO4)·2H2O54252102175,1021766890
Hedenbergite  (*)PyroxeneCaFe2+Si2O630051102176741
Hematite  (*)CorundumFe2O330032102176,10217814640
Hillebrandite  (*)NoneCa2SiO3(OH)232.32102177,10217917
Huntite  (*)Not in a structural groupCaMg3(CO3)4542251110217569
Hydrocalumite  (*)HydrotalciteCa4Al2(OH)12(Cl,CO3,OH)2·4H2O32.33102177,102179,10218030
Hydroxyledgrewite  (*)HumiteCa9(SiO4)4(OH)232.32102177,1021791
Hydroxylellestadite  (*)ApatiteCa5(SiO4)1.5(SO4)1.5OH32.33102177,102179,10218022
Ilmenite  (*)CorundumFe2+Ti4+O33311021815433
Ilvaite  (*)IlvaiteCaFe3+Fe2+2O(Si2O7)(OH)30051102176197
Ingodite  (*)TetradymiteBi2TeS54252102174,10217630
Irinarassite  (*)GarnetCa3Sn2(SiAl2)O1232.32102178,1021821
Jennite  (*)NoneCa9(Si3O9)2(OH)6·8H2O32.32102178,10217918
Joséite-A  (*)TetradymiteBi4TeS254252102174,10217650
Kerimasite  (*)GarnetCa3Zr2(SiFe3+2)O1232.33102177,102179,1021808
Killalaite  (*)NoneCa6.4[H0.6Si2O7]2(OH)232.32102178,1021795
Kimzeyite  (*)GarnetCa3Zr2(SiAl2)O1233110217817
Kumtyubeite  (*)HumiteCa5(SiO4)2F232.311021795
Lakargiite  (*)PerovskiteCaZrO332.34102177,102179,102180,10218210
Larnite  (*)Not in a structural groupCa2(SiO4)32.34102177,102179,102180,10218248
Magnesioferrite  (*)SpinelMgFe3+2O432.3110218098
Magnesioneptunite  (*)NeptuniteKNa2Li(Mg,Fe)2Ti2Si8O24332102178,1021811
Magnetite  (*)SpinelFe2+Fe3+2O454252102174,10217614899
Malachite  (*)MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2542251110217512537
Maldonite  (*)NoneAu2Bi3005110217688
Megawite  (*)PerovskiteCaSnO332.311021801
Microcline  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)3311021814924
Molybdenite  (*)MolybdeniteMoS254252102174,1021765800
Neptunite  (*)NeptuniteKNa2LiFe2+2Ti2Si8O2433110218149
Pavlovskyite  (*)NoneCa8(SiO4)2(Si3O10)32.32102178,1021793
Periclase  (*)RocksaltMgO32.32102178,102180114
Perovskite  (*)PerovskiteCaTiO332.33102177,102179,102180495
Plombièrite  (*)TobermoriteCa4Si6O16(OH)2(H2O)2·(Ca·5H2O)33110217828
Powellite  (*)ScheeliteCa(MoO4)30051102176494
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS23005110217639462
Pyrrhotite  (*)NickelineFe7S8300511021769056
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO230034102171,102176,102178,10218161156
Reinhardbraunsite  (*)HumiteCa5(SiO4)2(OH)232.33102177,102180,1021829
Rhodonite  (*)RhodoniteCaMn3Mn(Si5O15)30051102176969
Rickardite  (*)NoneCu3-xTe23005110217652
Rondorfite  (*)NoneCa8Mg(SiO4)4Cl232.34102177,102179,102180,1021827
Rorisite  (*)MatlockiteCaClF300511021763
Rusinovite  (*)Not in a structural groupCa10(Si2O7)3Cl232.32102179,1021805
Rutile  (*)RutileTiO2332102171,1021815614
Saponite  (*)Clay Smectite-vermiculite(Ca,Na)0.3(Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2·4H2O331102178301
Scheelite  (*)ScheeliteCa(WO4)54253102172,102174,1021764894
Sergeevite  (*)NoneCa2Mg11(CO3)9(HCO3)4(OH)4·6H2O5422512102174,1021752
Sharyginite  (*)Brownmillerite PerovskiteCa3TiFe2O832.311021777
Silver  (*)CopperAg300511021765186
Sphalerite  (*)SphaleriteZnS30032102176,10217821482
Spurrite  (*)Spurrite-AfwilliteCa5(SiO4)2(CO3)32.32102177,10218054
Srebrodolskite  (*)Brownmillerite PerovskiteCa2Fe3+2O532.33102177,102179,10218025
Stilpnomelane  (*)Stilpnomelane Clay(K,Ca,Na)(Fe,Mg,Al)8(Si,Al)12(O,OH)36·nH2O54252102174,102176456
Sturmanite  (*)EttringiteCa6Fe3+2(SO4)2.5[B(OH)4](OH)12·25H2O3311021786
Sulphotsumoite  (*)TetradymiteBi3Te2S3005110217613
Tazheranite  (*)Fluorite(Zr,Ti,Ca)(O,   )2332102177,1021788
Tetradymite  (*)TetradymiteBi2Te2S54252102174,102176510
Thaumasite  (*)EttringiteCa3Si(OH)6(CO3)(SO4)·12H2O331102178183
Toturite  (*)GarnetCa3Sn2(SiFe3+2)O1232.32102178,1021801
Trabzonite  (*)NoneCa4[Si3O9(OH)](OH)32.32102178,1021792
Tsumoite  (*)TetradymiteBiTe30051102176100
Tungstenite  (*)MolybdeniteWS23005110217628
Usturite  (*)GarnetCa3(SbZr)(FeO4)332.32102178,1021821
Vesuvianite  (*)Vesuvianite(Ca,Na)19(Al,Mg,Fe)13(SiO4)10(Si2O7)4(OH,F,O)10300511021761395
Vorlanite  (*)FluoriteCaUO432.32102178,1021825
Wadalite  (*)MayeniteCa6Al5Si2O16Cl332.34102177,102178,102179,10218011
Wittichenite  (*)NoneCu3BiS330051102176297
Wollastonite  (*)WollastoniteCaSiO3300511021761247
Xonotlite  (*)NoneCa6Si6O17(OH)230032102176,102178109
Zeophyllite  (*)NoneCa13Si10O28(OH)2F8·6H2O33110217818


Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:
Age IDLocality Notes
Michelle_519The Tyrnyauz Mo-W deposit in the Northern Caucasus underwent Paleozoic ore forming metamorphism and later non ore forming intrusions ~2 ma.
Michelle_533The Tyrnyauz ore field incorporates relatively young and diverse subvolcanic and plutonic rocks, including the Eldzhurtinsky granite massif. This sample is of Tyrnyauz rhyolite.
Michelle_534The Tyrnyauz ore field incorporates relatively young and diverse subvolcanic and plutonic rocks, including the Eldzhurtinsky granite massif. This sample is from vitrophyre dykes in rhyolite.


8 Ages assigned to this locality:

Excel IDMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)Age as listed in referenceDating MethodAge InterpretPrioritized?Sample SourceSample NumRun NumAge from other LocalityDated MineralMinerals explicitely stated as having this ageAge applies to these ElementsMinDat Locality IDDated Locality (Max Age)Location as listed in referenceReferenceReference DOIReference IDAge Notes
Michelle_519542251Paleozoic Age of metamorphism    ScheeliteW, Mo276093Tyrnyauz Mo-W Deposit, Baksan Valley, Kabardino-Balkaria, RussiaTyrnyauz Mo-W depositGramenitskiy (2016)10.1134/S1075701516050056GOD58_442The deposit underwent Paleozoic ore forming metamorphism and later non ore forming intrusions ~2 ma.
Michelle_5331.951.951.95K-Ar, Rb-SrCrystallization age of neointrusionbiotite, plagioclase, sanidineTz 14    276093Tyrnyauz Mo-W Deposit, Baksan Valley, Kabardino-Balkaria, RussiaTyrnyauz Mo-W depositLebedev et al. (2003) DES396_529Age of Tyrnyauz rhyolite. It appears to post date the age of the ore mineralization.
Michelle_5341.951.91.90–1.95K-Ar, Rb-SrCrystallization age of neointrusionbiotite, plagioclase, pyroxeneTz 11    276093Tyrnyauz Mo-W Deposit, Baksan Valley, Kabardino-Balkaria, RussiaTyrnyauz Mo-W depositLebedev et al. (2003) DES396_529Age of the vitrophyre dykes in rhyolite. It appears to post date the age of the ore mineralization.
Alexandra-00553005300-5Rb-SrAge of rockgarnet, pyroxene    Mo, W19891Tyrnyauz Mo-W Deposit (Tyrny Auz Deposit), Baksan Valley, Kabardino-Balkaria, RussiaTyrnyauzChernyshev et al. (1998) NRFBR_6The age of first mineralization of an ore core is 300-260
Alexandra-009432.83.0-2.8K-ArAge of rock      241014Upper Chegem Volcanic Caldera (Verkhnechegemskaya Caldera), Baksan Valley, Kabardino-Balkaria, RussiaUpper Chegem Volcanic Caldera (Verkhnechegemskaya Caldera)Zadov et al. (2011)10.1134/S1075701511080186GOD53_775 
Alexandra-00952.72.32.5 ± 0.2K-ArAge of rock      241014Upper Chegem Volcanic Caldera (Verkhnechegemskaya Caldera), Baksan Valley, Kabardino-Balkaria, RussiaUpper Chegem Volcanic Caldera (Verkhnechegemskaya Caldera)Zadov et al. (2011)10.1134/S1075701511080186GOD53_775 
Alexandra-00962.72.72.7Ar-ArAge of rock      241014Upper Chegem Volcanic Caldera (Verkhnechegemskaya Caldera), Baksan Valley, Kabardino-Balkaria, RussiaUpper Chegem Volcanic Caldera (Verkhnechegemskaya Caldera)Zadov et al. (2011)10.1134/S1075701511080186GOD53_775 
Grew_Li_2019_0062333      Magnesioneptunite 267813Xenolith No. 5, Lakargi Mt., Upper Chegem Volcanic Caldera (Verkhnechegemskaya Caldera), Baksan Valley, Kabardino-Balkaria, RussiaXenolith #5, Upper Chegem caldera, near Mount Lakargi, Kabardino–Balkaria, North Caucasus, RussiaZadov et al. (2011) GOD53_775 

SampleSource LocalityReference URL

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

All age data...

Other copyright data...