Diaspore

specimen number:
2354275

location:
Gloucester Farm, Postmasburg, South Africa

description:
Classic South African material with deep red crystallized diaspore, these slightly translucent, in a cluster with little attached matrix. Crystallized completely all around.

Gloucester Farm, located in the Postmasburg manganese field of South Africa, sits within a geologically significant belt where massive Precambrian iron and manganese deposits formed through ancient sedimentary and supergene enrichment processes. The region became prominent in the early twentieth century following the discovery of high-grade manganese ores, leading to extensive open-cast mining operations across local farms. Glaucophane, iron oxides, and rare metamorphic minerals developed alongside the principal manganese ores, including an exceptional, manganese-rich variety of diaspore known as ottrelite-bearing or manganese-diaspore. Mineral collectors prize specimens from Gloucester Farm for these rare diaspore occurrences, which display striking reddish-pink to purplish-red coloration caused by manganese substitution within the crystal structure, making them notable rarities from the Postmasburg district.

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