Inesite

specimen number:
2072116

location:
N'Chwaning Mines, Northern Cape, South Africa

description:
Rich needlelike crystals of inesite measuring to 0.3 cm in size mostly covering the front of a breccia matrix. In good condition and quite nice for the species.

The N'Chwaning Mines are located in the Kuruman district of the Northern Cape Province, South Africa, and represent a world-class deposit within the Kalahari Manganese Field. Geologically, these mines are situated in the Hotazel Formation of the Transvaal Supergroup, which contains the largest known land-based manganese reserve on Earth. This sedimentary-exhalative deposit was formed approximately 2.2 to 2.3 billion years ago and later underwent significant hydrothermal alteration during the Namaqua-Natal orogeny. This secondary mineralizing event created open pockets and vugs where rare and exotic silicate and carbonate minerals could crystallize. Historically, the N'Chwaning I mine opened in 1972, followed by N'Chwaning II and III, quickly becoming famous not just for industrial ore but for producing some of the most aesthetic mineral specimens in the world.

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