Distal skarns host lead and zinc deposits in the Madan ore field in southern Bulgaria. These Mn-rich, pyroxene skarns formed due to cyclic pulses of metasomatic fluid during the early Oligocene, prior to Pb-Zn mineralization. Skarn formation occurs through the dissolution of the host rock, where fluid processes are recorded in calcite at the skarn boundary layer. New techniques for geological mapping relate the skarn body distribution to pyroxene mineral geochemistry. Similarly, host-rock controls on skarn formation caused simultaneous formation of epidote skarns, which are spatially limited to near fluid conduits. The link between pyroxene and epidote skarns can be exploited through district-scale geochemical tracers within skarn minerals. Trace elements such as As, Zn, Mn, and Sb in the epidote mineral structure correspond directly to orebody grades in the district, providing a new tool for potential vectoring and evaluation of base metal districts.