Vanadinite

specimen number:
2341199

location:
ACF Mine, Mibladen, Midelt, Draa-Tafilalet, Morocco

description:
Attractive red tabular lustrous crystals of vanadinite to 2.0 cm in size on a barite crystal matrix. Minor attached barite matrix. Very slight damage present, still quite nice.

Mibladen, located in the high plateau region of the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco, is a world-famous historic mining district with operations that expanded significantly during the French protectorate in the early to mid-20th century for lead and barite. Geologically, the deposit is situated within secondary sedimentary carbonate formations, where mineralizing hydrothermal fluids interacted with limestone and dolostone host rocks to form rich oxidized zones. Mineralogically, the district is globally renowned for producing exceptional, highly aesthetic specimens of orange-red vanadinite crystals, often associated with pristine barite, cerussite, and wulfenite, making it one of the most celebrated mineral localities in Africa.

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