Aegirine with Microcline

specimen number:
2072190

location:
Mt. Malosa, Zomba, Malawi

description:

Aesthetic example for the species, highly lustrous black prismatic crystals of aegirine to almost 4.0 cm in length coming nicely off matrix. The matrix is mostly covered with white microcline crystals. In very good condition.

Mount Malosa, located in the Zomba District of southern Malawi, is a world-class mineralogical site famous for its alkaline pegmatites. Geologically, it is part of the Chilwa Alkaline Province and consists of a large pluton composed primarily of Zomba-Malosa syenite and granite that intruded during the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous periods. The mineralization is found within pockets and cavities of coarse-grained pegmatites and hydrothermal veins, where cooling magma and late-stage fluids allowed for the growth of exceptional crystals. It is particularly renowned for producing large, sharp crystals of aegirine, feldspar, and smoky quartz, as well as rarer species like zombaite and various beryllium minerals. Historically, while the mountain has been a prominent geographical landmark for centuries, its significance as a premier mineral locality grew during the late 20th century. Unlike traditional industrial mines, the extraction at Mount Malosa is largely artisanal, with local miners carefully hand-digging specimens from the pegmatite pockets. This activity has continued steadily from the 1990s through to the present day, providing a constant supply of specimens to the international museum and collector markets.

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