Almandine

specimen number:
1052804

location:
Zillertal, Schwaz, Tyrol, Austria

description:
Classic crystals of almandine measuring to over 2.0 cm in size embedded up on a schist matrix. In good condition.

The Zillertal region, situated within the broader Schwaz district of Tyrol, Austria, is a historic alpine valley noted for its complex metamorphic geology and rich mineral assemblages. Geologically, the area cuts through the tectonic units of the Tauern Window, where deep-seated Penninic rocks, including mica schists, gneisses, and amphibolites, were exposed by dramatic alpine uplift and erosion. Hydrothermal veins and localized fissure systems within these metamorphic strata deposited various minerals, including exceptional adularia, titanite, and copper-bearing minerals, as well as minor gold-quartz veins. Localized mining and quarrying activities for iron, copper, and silver began during the Middle Ages, with exploration intensifying during the sixteenth-century mining boom of the nearby Schwaz mother-district. While large-scale industrial mining never fully dominated the high-altitude terrain of the Zillertal itself, small-scale operations and specimen quarrying for industrial talc and regional minerals continued intermittently into the mid-twentieth century before completely giving way to tourism and conservation.

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