Introduction: enargite and related minerals occur in a variety of ore deposits, but the most important association is in high sulphidation gold lodes (the 'enargite-type' class of gold deposits), in which the mineralization has been precipitated from high temperature and highly acidic hydrothermal fluids, typically associated with high level intrusive and subvolcanic igneous activity. Enargite may also occur in porphyry-type copper deposits and in a relatively rare As-rich subclass of Mississippi Valley Type Pb-Cu-Zn-Ba vein deposits, as at Clevedon in Avon (Ixer et al., 1993) and at the only Welsh occurrence. Enargite is readily identified in polished section but care must be taken with crystalline or massive material to distinguish it from similar minerals such as the low-temperature dimorph, luzonite.

Occurrence in Wales: a previous report of enargite from Great Orme, Llandudno, Gwynedd (Bevins, 1994) is erroneous. However, the presence of enargite in polished sections of sulphide-rich material from Dolyhir Quarry was noted in the mid-1990s and subsequently small but well-formed crystals of the mineral have been collected from other exposures in the quarry.

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