Thorianite

specimen number:
2262350

location:
Balangoda, Ratnapura, Sabaragamuwa, Sri Lanka

description:
Sharp lustrous black cubic crystal of thorianite. In good condition.

The Balangoda and Ratnapura regions within the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka have a long history rooted in artisanal gem gravel mining, dating back centuries. Geologically, the area is situated within the Highland Complex, a Precambrian high-grade metamorphic terrain consisting of granulite-facies gneisses, charnockites, and metasediments. Intensive weathering and river action concentrated stable heavy minerals into extensive alluvial and eluvial placers. While these gravels are internationally famous for a wide variety of gemstones, they also yield thorianite, a heavy thorium oxide mineral. Originally recognized and studied from these alluvial deposits in the early twentieth century during investigations into early radioactivity, thorianite typically occurs as small, water-worn, cubic crystals containing significant amounts of thorium, uranium, and rare earth elements.

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