Baddeleyite

specimen number:
1052603

location:
Morro do Ferro, Pocos de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil

description:

An excellent example for the species, smooth botryoidal baddeleyite with little matrix. Crystallized all around. In good condition. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video with an original acquisition date of 1907.

Morro do Ferro, located within the Pocos de Caldas alkaline massif in Minas Gerais, Brazil, is a site of significant geological and mineralogical interest. Geologically, it is part of one of the world's largest alkaline volcanic complexes, characterized by a weathered carbonatite and phonolite structure that is exceptionally rich in thorium and rare earth elements. The locality is specifically known for producing baddeleyite, a zirconium oxide mineral, which occurs here in a rare botryoidal habit locally referred to as "favas" or "zirkite." These rounded, water-worn nodules formed through the secondary alteration of primary zirconium-bearing minerals within the lateritic soil and weathered bedrock. Historically, mining and quarrying activities at Morro do Ferro began in the mid-20th century, with significant exploration occurring during the 1950s and 1960s as researchers investigated the site's intense natural radioactivity. While it was never developed into a major industrial zirconium producer compared to nearby deposits, it served as a critical research station for studying the migration of radioactive elements in tropical environments.

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