Eosphorite with Muscovite

specimen number:
2063049

location:
Ilha claim, Taquaral, Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil

description:
Choice example for the species with lustrous slightly translucent brown crystals to 0.4 cm in height aesthetically arranged across the front of matrix with crystallized muscovite. In good condition. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark.

The Ilha claim, also known as Lavra da Ilha, is a zoned granitic pegmatite situated on a small island within the Jequitinhonha River near Taquaral and Itinga in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Discovered in 1969, mining operations at the site were strictly seasonal, restricted to the dry months when low river levels allowed miners to clear sand and access the pit before annual floods submerged the workings. The deposit eventually became inactive and is currently classified as an inactive claim. Geologically, the pegmatite is enclosed in quartzose mica schist and features distinct internal zones of muscovite and feldspar flanking a central quartz core, along with sodic replacement bodies and small vugs that produced world-famous specimens of crystallized rose quartz and rare phosphate minerals.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.