Investigation of the usability of listvenites as gemstones in the kuluncak (Malatya) ophiolite

The Late Cretaceous Kuluncak (Malatya) Ophiolite is located in the eastern Taurides and display a well-preserved ophiolite pseudostratigraphy with (in an ascending order) harzburgitic tectonites, ultramafic-mafic cumulates, isotropic gabbros, sheeted dikes, volcanic complex with associated sediments. Listvenites crop out around Alvar village close to Kuluncak town center and Güvenç village north of Hekimhan and which are observed in the serpentinites and formed as a result of the alteration of the serpentinites, display red, reddish brown color and hard topography. These rocks display granular texture in thin sections and consist of calcite, quartz and opaque minerals. Listvenites are geochemically classified as silica carbonate listvenite (Type-1) and carbonate lisvenite (Type-2). The lisvenites samples were cut into different shapes such as such as square, rectangle, triangle, round for use in jewelry by applying stone cutting. Due to the hardness and durability of the samples taken from the vicinity of Alvar Village, they are quite suitable for processing compared to the samples around Güvenç. Considering its properties such as color, high durability and processability, the listvenites of the Kuluncak (Malatya) ophiolite in the region can be used as a gemstone.