Albite with Chlorite

specimen number:
9771514

location:
St Gotthard, Leventina, Ticino, Switzerland

description:
Lustrous crystals of albite measuring to 1.0 cm in size in a cluster with minor deep green micaceous chlorite. Good thumbnail for this was classic. In good condition.

The geology of the St Gotthard region in the Leventina district of Ticino, Switzerland, is defined by the rugged Gotthard Massif, which consists predominantly of ancient crystalline basement rocks such as gneiss and granite that were intensely folded and metamorphosed during the uplift of the Alps. Within this complex tectonic setting, hydrothermal activity formed numerous mineral-bearing fissures and pockets embedded in the rock walls. Rather than industrial mining, the area has a rich historical tradition of artisanal mineral collecting, where local prospectors known as crystal seekers have spent centuries scaling the high alpine cliffs to extract prized specimens of smoky quartz, feldspar, and other crystallized matrix minerals.

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