Hematite

specimen number:
2133371

location:
Cavradi Gorge, Tavetsch, Graubunden, Switzerland

description:
A sharp bright lustrous metallic crystal of hematite. In good condition.

The Cavradi Gorge, situated in the Val Curnera within the Tujetsch region of Grisons, Switzerland, is a historic alpine alpine-fissure locality known for iron oxide and silicate mineral crystals rather than industrial ore extraction. Geologically, the gorge cuts through the central Alpine Aar Massif, a complex basement structure dominated by Variscan granites, gneisses, and highly deformed pre-Variscan crystalline schists. During the Alpine orogeny, tectonic stresses fractured the metamorphic rocks, allowing fluid-rock interactions to leach elements from the host gneiss and precipitate specialized minerals within open, low-temperature hydrothermal veins, producing distinct rhombohedral and tabular crystals of hematite, rutile, and quartz. Native alpine crystal seekers, known locally as Strahler, have systematically searched and extracted specimens from these hazardous rock faces for centuries, with documented activity increasing notably in the mid-to-late nineteenth century as mineralogical interest grew. While small-scale, seasonal hand-tool extraction by licensed local collectors continues under strict regional environmental regulations today, large-scale industrial mining or commercial quarrying has never been established at the site due to its rugged geography and protected status.

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