Aegirine with Microcline, Zircon

specimen number:
2063276

location:
Mt. Malosa, Zomba, Malawi

description:
A choice grouping of lustrous black prismatic terminated aegirine crystals, this with a small cluster of blocky microcline crystals in a small zircon crystal present. Aesthetic and in very good condition. A tiny quartz crystal is present as well. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark.

Mount Malosa, part of the Chilwa Alkaline Province in southern Malawi, consists of peralkaline granites and syenites containing complex pegmatite pockets that formed during Mesozoic rifting. The mountain has gained international renown among mineral collectors for yielding world-class, exceptionally large crystals of dark silicates like aegirine, along with feldspar, smoky quartz, and a diverse suite of rare beryllium and rare-earth element minerals. Artisanal collecting and small-scale mining in the rugged terrain have been carried out for decades, supplying museum-grade specimens to the global market while requiring careful local access management.

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