MDA1 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Tsarafara, Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Ibity Area, Vakinankaratra (Betafo) Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

5.6x 3.4x 3.5 cm

$1950

In the United States, Europe and Japan, the majority of available tourmaline is of Afghan or Pakistani origin, largely thanks to the number of Pakistani nationals who export the material.  This is followed closely in terms of quantity by specimens from Brazil, Pala, etc. 

Madagascar is home to some of the most stunningly colored tourmalines, yet good specimens are seldom seen for sale.

This piece is one of the few matrix tourmalines that I was able to acquire.  There is no shortage of minerals in Madagascar, but good pieces are few and far between.  Although this piece is not gemmy, the wine-red color is among the best available from Madagascar, and out of literaly thousands of tourmalines that I saw, this specimen had the largest terminated and undamaged crystal that was available on matrix.

I would estimate that about 99.8% of Malagasy tourmalines are sold as single crystals. 

MDA2 Demantoid Garnet 

Ambanja Dist., Diana Region, Antsiranana Prov., Madagascar

6.2x 4.2x 2.3 cm             New Find!

$485

A beautiful specimen from a new find made within the last couple months.  This small cabinet has numerous bright green demantoid garnets, many of which are quite gemmy. 

I am told that these specimens were recovered from a mangrove swamp near the northern tip of the island, following an initial discovery of loose crystals in the water by a fisherman.  

There was not too much of this material available, and I selected the best of what could be found.    

These demantiods are at their brightest in natural sunlight.

RESERVED

MDA3 Orthoclase (Gem!!!)

Itrongay, Betroka Department, Horombe Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar

2.6x 1.9x 1.2 cm

$785

When a miner came to my car and showed me this, I did all I could to keep a straight face.  We have all seen many, many orthoclase crystals-- whether you are looking at a granite countertop, or an isolated specimen of the mineral, there is really no shortage.

But when was the last time you saw a gem crystal?  I have seen a few in my years of collecting (all from Madagascar), and this is by far one of the largest and most complete, and has the best defined crystal form of any of them.  

Upon close inspection, chipping can be seen on one of the back edges.  Due to the crystal's overall "melted" appearance though, you have to look hard to see it. This is a double terminated crystal.

This is a truly special piece, exceptional against the literally tons of orthoclase specimens recovered around the world.  The color is a bit brighter yellow in person.

MDA4 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

3.7x 2.2x 2.0 cm

$265

A beautiful miniature, with a terminated, polychrome tourmaline crystal perched on the edge of a quartz crystal.  

There is cookite coating the tourmaline and quartz on the backside, but I think that this cookite is what provided the additional strength needed to keep the piece from breaking during extraction.

All in all, this is a beautiful tourmaline specimen, of a highly desirable color. 

MDA5 Demantoid Garnet New Find!

Ambanja Dist., Diana Region, Antsiranana Prov., Madagascar

2.7x 2.6x 1.6 cm

$450

A beautiful specimen from a new find made within the last couple months.  I am told that these specimens were recovered from a mangrove swamp near the northern tip of the island, following an initial discovery of loose crystals by a fisherman.  

This is my favorite specimen from amongst those that I acquired, with gemmy green demantoid garnets perched on the edge of their matrix.  This is an exceptional, damage free miniature from the find. 

These demantiods are at their brightest in natural sunlight.

MDA6 Demantoid Garnet New Find!

Ambanja Dist., Diana Region, Antsiranana Prov., Madagascar

2.4x 2.1x 1.3 cm

$325

Another demantoid "toenail", this one notable for the unusual flattened and elongated habit of the garnets.

Once again, the color and geminess are exquisite, though this was one of the only specimens  displaying this unusual habit.

The color is actually better in person-- these demantiods are at their brightest in natural sunlight.

I am told that these specimens were recovered from a mangrove swamp near the northern tip of the island, following an initial discovery of loose crystals by a fisherman.  

MDA7 Demantoid Garnet New Find!

Ambanja Dist., Diana Region, Antsiranana Prov., Madagascar

2.5x 2.3x 1.8 cm

$245

Another striking small miniature of this new material, with numerous gemmy, green demantoid dodecahedrons on matrix.  No damage. 

The color is actually better in person-- these demantiods are at their brightest in natural sunlight.

I am told that these specimens were recovered from a mangrove swamp near the northern tip of the island, following an initial discovery of loose crystals by a fisherman.  

MDA8 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

3.0x 1.4x 1.2 cm

$395

As I stated before, Malagasy tourmaline is amongst the most vibrantly colored in the world.  The color of this specimen rivals that of the specimens from the 1978 Jonas Mine Pocket in Brazil, and its depth surpasses anything that I have seen from Afghanistan. 

The crystal is terminated, and very gemmy.

MDA9 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

2.1x 1.7x 1.0 cm

$295

A magenta colored tourmaline from Madagascar--again, terminated and very gemmy.  The color is spectacular... there is little else that can be said.

MDA10 Spodumene var. Kunzite

Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

5.7x 2.7x 1.5 cm

$385

Yet another Malagasy mineral that rarely escapes the island in crystal form is spodumene.  Most of it gets bought up by Thai traders who then irradiate and facet them as necessary.

I was shown a few small parcels of gem material, from which I selected the best crystalline examples.  This is an, etched crystal, complete all around and damage free.

In terms of quality, these are no different from their Brazilian of Afghan counterparts. 

This piece is pure gem--because of the etched surface it is hard to tell from the photographs, but this specimen is like glass.

MDA11 Spodumene var. Kunzite

Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

6.8x 1.8x 1.2 cm

$290

Yet another Malagasy mineral that rarely escapes the island in crystal form is spodumene.  Most of it gets bought up by Thai traders who then irradiate and facet them as necessary.

I was shown a few small parcels of gem material, from which I selected the best crystalline examples.  This is a rather large, etched crystal, complete all around and damage free.

In terms of quality, these are no different from their Brazilian of Afghan counterparts. 

This piece is pure gem--because of the etched surface it is hard to tell from the photographs, but this specimen is like glass.

MDA12 Spodumene var. Kunzite

Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

3.3x 1.3x 0.5 cm

$88

Yet another Malagasy mineral that rarely escapes the island in crystal form is spodumene.  Most of it gets bought up by Thai traders who then irradiate and facet them as necessary.

I was shown a few small parcels of gem material, from which I selected the best crystalline examples.  This is a rather large, etched crystal, complete all around and damage free.

In terms of quality, these are no different from their Brazilian of Afghan counterparts. 

This piece is pure gem--because of the etched surface it is hard to tell from the photographs, but this specimen is like glass.

MDA31 Tourmaline 

Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

3.5x 0.6x 0.6 cm

$185

A beautiful multicolored tourmaline, with spectacular zoning and a pristine termination.  There are bands of magenta, faint olive green, and even colorless areas.  

It is not a huge crystal (the big ones never display colors like this, in any case), but it possesses a spectacular combination of colors that only Madagascar can produce.

MDA13 Chrysoberyl

Alaotra-Mangoro Region, Toamasina  Prov., Madagascar

2.3x 1.4x 1.3 cm

$185

A cyclic twin of gemmy chrysoberyl. 

MDA14 Chrysoberyl

Alaotra-Mangoro Region, Toamasina  Prov., Madagascar

1.6x 1.5x 0.4 cm

$115

A twinned specimen of yellow-green chrysoberyl. 

MDA15 Kornerupine (RARE!)

Horombe Region, Fianarantsoa Prov., Madagascar

3.0x 1.5x 1.1 cm

$600

No, your eyes do not deceive you.  This is a CRYSTAL of kornerupine.  Discovered in Greenland in the late 1800's, kornerupine is a rare gemstone that is today usually recovered from Burmese alluvial deposits.

Needless to say, those rounded examples rarely display visible crystals, and are best suited to faceting.  Under strong lighting, as in the photogrpahs, this terminated prism shows hints of its green undertones, though it is heavily included and not suitable for cutting.

This is a large crystal of a very rare gem mineral--I would argue that today it is among the most difficult gem species to obtain in specimen form, along with grandidierite, poudretteite, and taaffeite.

These things just do not come up for sale.

MDA16 Tourmaline var. Elbaite "Watermelon"

Mahaiza Area, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

5.8x 2.1x 1.6 cm

$250

A large, opaque watermelon tourmaline.  The crystal is perfectly terminated, and has a thin green rind surrounding a pink core.  Near the base you can see the multi-colored cross section.

These crystals are usually taken and sliced, as are the liddicoatites which the region is famous for. (there are a few  liddicoatite slices below)

MDA17 Phenacite

Anjanabonoina, Betafo Dist., Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

2.3x 0.9x 0.7 cm

$120

Good phenacite is known from only a handful of locations worldwide-- from Colorado, the Urals, Myanmar, and Madagascar.  This is a rather gemmy, complete and terminated crystal, completely free of any damage. 

All in all, it is an excellent thumbnail specimen of Malagasy phenacite.

MDA18 Phenacite

Anjanabonoina Pegmatite, Betafo Dist., Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

2.3x 0.7x 0.6 cm

$95

Good phenacite is known from only a handful of locations worldwide-- from Colorado, the Urals, Myanmar, and Madagascar.  This is a rather gemmy, complete and terminated crystal, completely free of any damage. 

All in all, it is an excellent thumbnail specimen of Malagasy phenacite.

MDA19 Garnet var. Almandine

Ialamitana, Sahanivotry, Near Antsirabe, Madagascar

2.8x 1.8x 1.3 cm

$58

A dark almandine garnet perched on a pillar of albite.

MDA20 Londinite with Liddicoatite

Antsongombato, Betafo Region, Madagascar

5.4x 4.4x 3.1 cm

$185

A beautiful combination specimen of deep red rubellite tourmaline and yellow-green londonite.  

The crystal is complete and undamaged, one of only a small handful of intact crystals that I was able to find.

Rubellite/londonite combinations are particularly aesthetic, and desirable.  This crystal is also more translucent than most. 

MDA21 Rhodozite-Londinite

Antsongombato, Betafo Region, Madagascar

2.7x 2.6x 2.1 cm

$285

An exceptional londonite thumbnail, with a large, complete, and sharp crystal positioned front-and-center on its matrix. 

I was shown a lot of londonite, but I refrained from purchasing most of it because virtually all the crystals were incomplete.  This was one of the best thumbnails I was able to acquire.

MDA22 Quartz, with Actinolite(?) Hematite (?) inclusions

Betafo Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

5.6x 1.9x 1.2 cm

$165

I do not like to post quartz on this website, simply because there is just so much of it.  In Madagascar however, I broke my usual rule and bought a number of very interesting specimens.  This is one of my favorites-- the surfaces are unpolished, but its inclusions display a striking color contrast.  I like to leave most minerals in their natural state, but this one would be quite interesting for someone to polish. 

MDA23 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Betafo Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

6.2x 1.7x 1.3 cm

$95

A second quartz specimens for this update, this one being a scepter crystal with an amethyst head. 

MDA24 Zircon

Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

1.1x 1.0x 0.7 cm

$78

A double terminated zircon from Madagascar.  Unusual material from recent mining activities.

MDA25 Zircon

Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

1.35x 1.2x 1.0 cm

$88

A double terminated zircon from Madagascar.  Unusual material from recent mining activities.

MDA26 Columbite

Betafo Dist., Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

4.0x 3.4x 2.4 cm

$185

A "spray" of columbite crystals.  This stacked, fan-like habit is typical of Malagasy columbite, but unusual at other localities.

MDA27 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Anjanabonoina Pegmatite, Betafo Dist., Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

3.7x 3.3x 0.3 cm

*Repaired*

$145

These tourmaline slices are one of the most distinctive Malagasy lapidary items.  When viewed in their natural form, these liddicoatites appear to be schorls with unusually pointed terminations-- they don't look like very much.

When one closely observes their terminations and bases, a faint radial zoning can be seen, and the crystal is then thinly sliced to realize its full gem potential  

These things are nearly impossible to take out of Madagascar legally (as I found out unfortunately late in the trip....)  To make a long story short, it took a decent amount of paperwork and negotiating to get these slices (and some of the other minerals on this page) out of the country.  

MDA28 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Anjanabonoina Pegmatite, Betafo Dist., Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

4.3x 3.5x 0.35 cm

$185

These tourmaline slices are one of the most distinctive Malagasy lapidary items.  When viewed in their natural form, these liddicoatites appear to be schorls with unusually pointed terminations-- they don't look like very much.

When one closely observes their terminations and bases, a faint radial zoning can be seen, and the crystal is then thinly sliced to realize its full gem potential  

These things are nearly impossible to take out of Madagascar legally (as I found out unfortunately late in the trip....)  To make a long story short, it took a decent amount of paperwork and negotiating to get these slices (and some of the other minerals on this page) out of the country.  

MDA29 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Anjanabonoina Pegmatite, Betafo Dist., Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

3.1x 2.4x 0.2 cm

$135

These tourmaline slices are one of the most distinctive Malagasy lapidary items.  When viewed in their natural form, these liddicoatites appear to be schorls with unusually pointed terminations-- they don't look like very much.

When one closely observes their terminations and bases, a faint radial zoning can be seen, and the crystal is then thinly sliced to realize its full gem potential  

These things are nearly impossible to take out of Madagascar legally (as I found out unfortunately late in the trip....)  To make a long story short, it took a decent amount of paperwork and negotiating to get these slices (and some of the other minerals on this page) out of the country.  

MDA30 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Anjanabonoina Pegmatite, Betafo Dist., Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

2.45x 2.2x 0.3 cm

$78

These tourmaline slices are one of the most distinctive Malagasy lapidary items.  When viewed in their natural form, these liddicoatites appear to be schorls with unusually pointed terminations-- they don't look like very much.

When one closely observes their terminations and bases, a faint radial zoning can be seen, and the crystal is then thinly sliced to realize its full gem potential 

These things are nearly impossible to take out of Madagascar legally (as I found out unfortunately late in the trip....)  To make a long story short, it took a decent amount of paperwork and negotiating to get these slices (and some of the other minerals on this page) out of the country.