Vesuvianite
specimen number:
2262180
location:
Imilchil, Er Rachidia, Meknes-Tafilalet, Morocco
description: The Imilchil area, located within the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, is a significant locality for high-quality vesuvianite crystals, often found near the village of Arhbar. Geologically, the deposit is associated with contact metamorphism where gabbroic and dioritic intrusions met carbonate-rich sedimentary rocks, forming skarn zones. Within these zones, vesuvianite occurs as lustrous, well-formed crystals ranging from olive green to deep brown, frequently appearing in association with garnet and diopside. Historically, while the region has long been known to local Berber populations, organized mineral specimen recovery and small-scale quarrying for the collector market gained international prominence in the late 20th century, specifically during the 1990s. Unlike large-scale industrial metal mines, the operations at Imilchil are primarily artisanal and seasonal, continuing through 2026 to supply the global mineral trade with some of the finest Moroccan silicate specimens.
Very fine example for the species, this a lustrous loose double terminated crystal of vesuvianite. In very good condition and complete all around. Previously in the collection of Mark Fleischer. Note the imprints of crystals of garnet within the faces of the vesuvianite crystal, the garnet now gone. This is very evident in the video.
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