Axinite-Mn

specimen number:
9711782

location:
Merelani Hills, Simanjiro, Manyara, Tanzania

description:
A loose gem crystal grouping of axinite, this the manganese end member of the group. In good condition.

The Merelani Hills in Simanjiro, Manyara, Tanzania, famous as the exclusive commercial source of tanzanite, were discovered in 1967 following initial finds by local herders and prospector Manuel d'Souza, transitioning from open artisanal pits to a regulated block-concession mining system that remains active today. Geologically, the deposit sits within the Mozambique Belt, consisting of intensely folded, graphite-rich metamorphic rocks, gneisses, and calc-silicate lenses that underwent high-grade regional metamorphism and hydrothermal activity, which also produced rare borosilicate minerals like manganese-dominant axinite featuring distinct wedge-shaped crystal structures.

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