Elbaite with Quartz

specimen number:
8911053

location:
Anjanabonoina, Ambohimanambola, Betafo, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar

description:
A beautiful deep reddish purple lustrous partially gemmy thick terminated crystal of elbaite with numerous colorless crystals of quartz attached. Minor albite present near the base, naturally healed on the bottom termination. In super condition all around. These are often labeled as liddicoatite, some studies however as shown these to be a calcium rich elbaite. The specimen comes with a previous label from the Alton collection. This weighs 76.24 g.

Anjanabonoina in Madagascar is renowned for its complex granitic pegmatites, which formed during intense magmatic and hydrothermal activity within Precambrian metamorphic terrain. The pegmatites are famous for complex zoning and large cavity systems that host a diverse assemblage of gem-quality minerals, including tourmaline, spodumene, and beryl. Mining and mineral collecting in this remote region have been active for over a century, driven largely by artisanal miners and local prospectors working deep pockets within weathered pegmatite dikes. The area gained worldwide renown among mineral collectors for producing magnificent polychrome tourmaline crystals and exceptionally large beryl specimens, making it one of the most productive and historically significant gemstone localities in the world.

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