The pre-Cenozoic geology at Candelaria, Nevada comprises four main lithologic units: the basement consists of Ordovician cherts of the Palmetto complex; this is overlain unconformably by Permo-Triassic marine clastic sediments (Diablo and Candelaria Formations); these are structurally overlain by a serpentinitehosted tectonic m~lange (Pickhandle/Golconda allochthon); all these units are cut by three Mesozoic felsic dike systems. Bulk-mineable silver-base metal ores occur as stratabound sheets of vein stockwork/disseminated sulphide mineralisation within structurally favourable zones along the base of the Pickhandle allochthon (i.e. Pickhandle thrust and overlying ultramafics/mafics) and within the fissile, calcareous and phosphatic black shales at the base of the Candelaria Formation (lower Candelaria 'shear'). The most prominent felsic dike system -a suite of Early Jurassic granodiorite porphyries -exhibits close spatial, alteration and geochemical associations with the silver mineralisation. Disseminated pyrites from the bulk-mineable ores exhibit a 634S range from -0.3%o to + 12.1%o (mean 634S = + 6.4 + 3.5%o, la, n = 17) and two sphalerites have 6348 of + 5.9%0 and + 8.7%0. These data support a felsic magmatic source for sulphur in the ores, consistent with their proximal position in relation to the porphyries. However, a minor contribution of sulphur from diagenetic pyrite in the host Candelaria sediments (mean &34S = -14.0%o) cannot be ruled out. Sulphur in late, localised barite veins (6345 = + 17.3%o and + 17.7%o) probably originated from a sedimentary/seawater source, in the form of bedded barite within the Palmetto basement (634S = + 18.9%o). Quartz veins from the ores have mean 6~SO = + 15.9 + 0.8%0 (la, n = 10), which is consistent, over the best estimate temperature range of the mineralisation (360~ ~ with deposition from xSO-enriched magmatic-hydrothermal fluids (calculated 3180 fluid = + 9.4%0 to + 13.9%o). Such enrichment probably occurred through isotopic exchange with the basement cherts during fluid ascent from a source * Current address: B. Thomson, 31 Nethermains Road, Muchalls, Kincardineshire AB3 2RN, Scotland, UK pluton. Whole rock data for a propylitised porphyry (6~so= + 14.2%o, 6D = -65%o) support a magmatic fluid source. However, 6D results for fluid inclusions from several vein samples (mean = -108 __+ 14%o, la, n = 6) and for other dike and sediment whole rocks (mean = -110 _ 13%o, la, n = 5) reveal the influence of meteoric waters. The timing of meteoric fluid incursion is unresolved, but possibilities include late-mineralisation groundwater flooding during cooling of the Early Jurassic progenitor porphyry system and/or meteoric fluid circulation driven by Late Cretaceous plutonism.