Spinel

specimen number:
9711740

location:
Mahenge, Morogoro, Tanzania

description:
Sharp deep purplish red translucent and lustrous octahedral crystals of spinel measuring to almost 2.0 cm across on a calcite matrix. This is in good condition. Complete all around. Brightly fluorescent. A lovely miniature for the species.

Mahenge, located in the Morogoro Region of Tanzania, has a history rooted in the slave trade era, a missionary post established around 1897, and small-scale gem mining that began attracting global attention following initial discoveries in the late 1980s and a massive neon-pink spinel find at Ipanko in August 2007 (while specific mining operations open and close periodically based on artisanal yields, commercial activity remains active with ongoing graphite and gemstone extraction). Geologically, the area is part of the Neoproterozoic Mozambique Belt, consisting primarily of high-grade metamorphic rocks such as schist, calc-silicate rocks, and dolomite-dominant marbles that host world-renowned gem deposits shaped by intense tectonic activity and high zinc-chromium availability.

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