Grandidierite

specimen number:
9539555

location:
Tranomaro, Amboasary, Anosy, Tulear, Madagascar

description:

Very pretty blue translucent lustrous bladed crystals throughout this matrix. This is really fine for the species.

Tranomaro, located in the Amboasary District of the Anosy Region in southern Madagascar, is a remote rural commune renowned for its unique metamorphic geology and rare gemstone deposits. Geologically, the area lies within the high-grade metamorphic terrain of the Precambrian basement rocks of southern Madagascar, where intense regional metamorphism and metasomatism of boron-rich sediments and magmatic fluids created favorable conditions for rare mineral formation. Historically, artisanal mining and small-scale gem prospecting in the rugged Tranomaro region expanded significantly during the late twentieth century as international demand grew for unusual collector minerals. Mineralogically, the area is world-famous as the type locality and premier source for grandidierite, an extremely rare aluminum magnesium borosilicate mineral that typically forms striking, translucent to transparent blue-green crystals and is highly prized by elite collectors and gem enthusiasts.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.