CARACTERIZACIÓN GEOLÓGICA Y MINERALÓGICA DEL YACIMIENTO LA TOSCA (VETAS, SANTANDER , COLOMBIA): IMPLICACIONES PARA EL PROCESAMIENTO MINERAL DE LAS MENAS AUROARGENTÍFERAS

La Tosca, a gold-silver hydrothermal deposit is located 1 Km Northwest Vetas (Santander, Colombia) and geologically, it is part of the Santander Massif. Gold occurs as free grains, included or associated to ilmenite, galena and in veins with a preferred orientation N40W. Other ore minerals are pyrite, chalcopyrite, silver, pyrrhotite and magnetite. Wall rocks comprises quartzo-feldspathic and biotite-hornblende gneisses with argillic and phyllic alteration. High recoveries of gold-silver ores during mineral processing, are possible due to free occurrence of gold grains, simple intergrowths with ore minerals and absence of harmful minerals.