Londonite

specimen number:
2354182

location:
Antsongombato Mine, Anosiarivo Manapa, Vakinankaratra, Madagascar

description:
Sharp colorless to slightly yellowish green lustrous crystals of londonite measuring to 1.5 cm in size embedded on matrix. In good condition.

Located near Anosiarivo Manapa in the Vakinankaratra region of Madagascar, the Antsongombato Mine is a world-renowned granite pegmatite deposit that was worked primarily by mineral collectors and small-scale miners starting in the late twentieth century. Geologically, the locality consists of an extremely differentiated granitic pegmatite dike intruded into Precambrian metamorphic basement rocks, heavily enriched in boron, cesium, and beryllium. The mine achieved international acclaim as the type locality for londonite, a rare cesium-dominant analog of rhodizite that forms brilliant colorless, white, to pale yellow isometric crystals within lithium-rich pocket zones. High-grade specimens from this deposit are prized by museums and gem collectors for their exceptional crystal perfection, rarity, and high luster, making Antsongombato one of the most famous classic pegmatite localities in Madagascar.

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