On May 5, 2026, the SGA Student Chapter Prague had the honour of welcoming Prof. Dr. Jochen Kolb for a lecture titled Lithium Resources in Geothermal Brines of the Upper Rhine Graben and Possible Extraction Technologies, held as a seminar for the entire geological section of the Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague. In total, 31 participants attended the seminar.
On April 9, members of our Chapter, the SGA Baltic Student Chapter, and the SEG Student Chapter Freiberg began the Hungarian field trip at the Gánt bauxite deposit. Here, we were introduced to the regional geology of Hungary as well as the local geology of the deposit. Apart from the aluminium ore, we collected some high-quality UV-active gypsum crystals. The day continued at the Nagybörzsöny ore district, a highly evolved hydrothermal system with unusual bismuth–tellurium mineralisation, and concluded with panning almandine garnets from stream sediments.
The XXV International Conference of Young Geologists (ICYG 2026) was held on 14–17 May 2026 in the Renaissance castle Kostelec nad Černými lesy, Czech Republic, marking an important milestone in the history of this long-standing meeting. The 2026 edition was not only the 25th anniversary of the conference, but also the first time that ICYG was organised in the Czech Republic and the largest event organised by SGA – Student Chapter Prague in the history of our chapter. The conference was co-organised by the Faculty of Science, Charles University, together with SGA Student Chapter Prague, in cooperation with partner institutions from Slovakia and Poland.
At the end of the last year, the SGA Student Chapter Prague organised another autumn excursion, this time to the Bohemian Paradise and Podkrkonoší regions. The excursion, led by Jan Bubal, took place from November 14 to 16, 2025, and one of its main purposes was to welcome the first-year geology student members of the Prague Chapter.
Dear Colleagues,
We are delighted to invite you to participate in the XXV International Conference of Young Geologists (ICYG 2026), which will take place from 14 to 17 May 2026 at the Renaissance castle in Kostelec nad Černými lesy, just 40 km east of Prague, Czech Republic. Conference is organized by our SGA Chapter Prague and the Faculty of Science, Charles University.
On December 9th, we held our annual SGA Christmas party, where members could enjoy great food, drinks (outstanding beer from a local brewery Pivovar Prokopák), music, and a pleasant festive atmosphere. The evening also included a presentation summarizing this year’s activities and introducing plans for the upcoming year. As always, the traditional geological raffle was a highlight. Members had the chance to win interesting mineral specimens from various parts of the world and compete for the grand prize, this year, a beautiful fluorite from Mongolia. A big thank you to 4C Minerals and Sběratel minerálů for their support! We were also delighted to welcome members from SEG Freiberg, who joined us for the evening and made the event even more special. We wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and lots of success in the new year!
Dear friends and colleagues, we are pleased to invite you to the SGA Student Chapter Prague Christmas Party, which will take place on Tuesday, December 9, starting at 6:00 p.m. (LS, Albertov 6, 1st floor). You can look forward to delicious refreshments, entertainment, and great company. Once again this year, you will have the opportunity to try your luck in a geology-themed raffle. We hope you will accept our invitation and join us in celebrating the Advent season.
On August 28, a geological and paleontological field excursion to the Bohemian Karst took place, including visits to several significant sites.
In August, we had the honor of representing the SGA Student Chapter Prague and Charles University at the 18th SGA Biennial Meeting in Golden, Colorado. We presented our research, joined inspiring lessons and plenary talks on ore deposits and critical minerals, built international networks and friendships, and in person explored world-class geology on several field trips. We are grateful to SGA for organizing this incredible meeting and for their continuous support of geology students. Get ready for the 2027 19th SGA Biennial Meeting in Perth, Australia!
Jakub Ptáček, SGA Student Chapter Prague
At the end of April 2025, the SGA Student Chapter Prague organised another of its many excursions –
this time to Zlaté Hory (Golden Mountains), located in the northern part of the Jeseníky Mountains.
The goal of the excursion was to explore local geological points of interest, including minerals of
Alpine paragenesis and those associated with the rock listvenite („krupník“ in Czech). The highlight of
the trip was a descent into the Zlaté Hory gold mine, where exploration is currently underway on a
previously unmined gold-bearing body. Nine chapter members participated in the three-day excursion,
on which members Jan Mráček, Jan Kamenský, and Michal Čurda took charge of both the logistical
coordination and the provision of expert guidance. The Zlaté Hory area geologically belongs to the
Variscan orogenic zone of the Bohemian Massif, also known as the Moravo-Silesian Zone. It lies in
the highly deformed contact zone between the Keprník and Desná units (domes). The area’s geological
evolution is highly complex and remains an active subject of scientific discussion.
From a geological perspective, the two units differ significantly and undoubtedly had distinct origins.
The Keprník Unit is composed primarily of strongly metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks,
such as paragneisses, phyllites, and amphibolites, which are characterised by a high-grade
metamorphism typical of the amphibolite facies. In contrast, the younger Desná Unit consists mainly
of weakly metamorphosed sediments, including phyllites, schists, and greenschists, corresponding to
the greenschist facies. The most widely accepted interpretation suggests that the Keprník Unit forms a
nappe structure thrust eastward over the (para)autochthonous Desná Unit.
The first stop of the excursion was the locality Sobotín, known for its well-formed epidote crystals and
as a classic site for the preview of Alpine paragenesis minerals. Although previous extensive
collecting by mineral enthusiasts has reduced the locality’s productivity, several noteworthy specimens
were nevertheless obtained for the collection. The epidote veins at this site were originally discovered
by chance during the construction of a road leading to the next stop of the excursion – the nearby
Smrčina quarry. The primary focus at this locality was the rock listvenite, which was historically
utilised in local ironworks. In addition to listvenite, collectors can also find talc and small but well-
formed magnetite crystals. The final stop of the day was the beryl-bearing pegmatites of Střelecký Důl
near Maršíkov and its surroundings. While the pegmatite at Střelecký Důl was historically mined
primarily for feldspar, the locality is best known for its exceptional beryl crystals, including occasional
aquamarine, which could reach lengths of up to 10 cm.
The second day of the excursion was dedicated entirely to the modern gold mine operated by the state-
owned company DIAMO, located in the Zlaté Hory ore district. Between 1990 and 1993, underground
mining was conducted here, targeting gold hosted in quartz veins alongside pyrite, sphalerite, galena,
and other sulfide minerals. Currently, exploration of the deposit is underway in the previously
unmined sections of the ore body due to its potential for future extraction. The investigation involves
drilling across the old mine adits to estimate the remaining reserves. According to information from
DIAMO, as of 2025, approximately 4 tonnes of gold, 500 tonnes of copper, and significant quantities
of other commodities, such as zinc, germanium, and gallium, have been identified as potential
resources.
Upon arrival at the site, we received comprehensive training and were equipped with all necessary
safety gear, including a rescue breathing apparatus. In the mine, we received an overview of the
deposit along with a detailed explanation of all activities related to its exploration. They also showed
us several quartz veins filled with various sulphides, primarily pyrite and chalcopyrite, that often
contain microscopic grains of gold. Our time underground was, for safety reasons, limited, so the rest
of the briefing took place in an outdoor building where DIAMO stores the drill cores from the
exploration (Fig. 1). Visiting the mine was an unforgettable experience for all of us, and we are very
grateful to Tomáš Žitný, as well as whole DIAMO for making it possible (Fig. 2).
At the end of the second day, we visited the nearby Poštovní štola adit from the medieval ages (Fig. 3).
The earliest records of copper and other ore mining at this site date back to the early 16 th century. This
brief stop enriched our geological knowledge with the historical development of mining in the Zlaté
Hory ore district. On the final day, we made one last stop at a marble quarry near the town of Lipová,
where we learned interesting details about the local marble, its extraction methods, and the
reclamation efforts carried out after mining operations.
