Minerals from Madagascar- Liddicoatite tourmaline, hibonite, demantoid andradite, aquamarine, beryl, euxenite, samarskite and more!

This page contains 57 specimens from my second buying trip to Madagascar. In addition to tourmalines and other gem minerals, I made an effort to track down and purchase some of the rarer, uglier species as well.

It seems that most of the Malagasy minerals reaching the Western market tend to be the wholesale items (celestite, quartz, ammonites, and lapidary material) or they are gem rough/ faceted stones. This is particularly true here in the USA, though less so in Europe thanks to a few French, and most notably Italian dealers. The "rare uglies" however, tend to come almost exclusively from recycled collections.

Much of this had to do with the local laws, which until very recently, made getting rocks out of there fairly complicated for anybody without a company registered in Madagascar. These days, blame falls primarily on the mining methods, which are somewhat primitive (see images below.) The miners (at least at the pictured site) continually loosen the crumbly pegmatite with a crow bar or pick, ensuring that most pieces will be shattered. Also, the focus at many Malagasy operations is to obtain gem rough, where external damage is less important. So unfortunately, while the majority of collectors tend to prefer matrix specimens, the conditions in Madagascar are remarkably adverse to finding them. It does not help that the pegmatites known for producing the best tourmalines (Tsarafara) tend to be decomposed—unlike the solid matrixes you see in Afghan or Pakistani material, these tend to be grainy and poorly held together. At Antetezantsio (opaque red-pink tourmaline) fewer pockets seem to form, leading to unsightly, deeply imbedded crystals. At other locations, the rock is very hard and crystals are shattered by miners smashing through the tough matrix material with hand tools.

The final issue comes from the way these minerals are transported. The most common practice is to wrap specimens in single shreds of used notebook paper or newspaper, and then throw them all together in a bag. So while mineral samples are very common there, these factors combine to make good specimens somewhat less abundant. I suppose that is one reason why you are more likely to see lapidary material. Another reason would be the sheer abundance of raw materials for lapidary work-- in some places, chunks of discarded rose quartz are used to fill holes in footpaths.

As a side note, I was very impressed with the efforts Madagascar is making to profit from its non-ore mineral resources. In order to combat smuggling and undervaluations during export, the Ministry of Mines has its own team of gemologists do a valuation of material leaving the country. A very reasonably duty then assessed, based on this government valuation. That still doesn't stop millions of dollars worth of gem rough from being smuggled to Thailand, but it's a start.

As a dealer I should be against this, but actually, I really like it. For one thing, it helps to lessen shakedowns by customs agents who are not always on the same page as the Ministry of Mines (Ivato Airport has "corruption issues") and for another, it's nice to see a country benefit from its minerals in a non-corrupt way. I really wish Pakistan would do something similar-- over the last 30 odd years of specimen exportation, the government there has made virtually nothing in light of the hundreds of millions of dollars (perhaps billions?) worth of specimens and gems that have left its borders...

MGR01 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite, Quartz Tsarafara, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Ibity Area, Vakinankaratra (Betafo) Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar 4.5x 3.7x 3.4 cm $2950 As I mentioned in the introduction, good matrix specimens of tourmaline are extremely rare, on account of the decomposed nature of the pegmatite, the mining methods, and the emphasis on obtaining gem rough. When a matrix specimen does occur, the matrix will almost always consist of quartz crystals. Over two separate trips to Madagascar, this is the best matrix tourmaline I have been able to get my hands on. It consists of a purplish-red liddicoatite with a black and yellow core, the yellow part of the core lending some of its color to the hue of the termination. This yellow is best visibly under strong lighting (see the image where I am holding it) As is typical of many Malagasy liddicoatites, this specimen has a very steeply pointed termination. What truly sets this piece apart however, is its association with the quartz crystals that are perched on its side. I realize I am repeating myself here, but to find a matrix specimen is relatively rare. To find a matrix specimen where the tourmaline is not damaged is even rarer, but to find a piece where the interplay between the matrix and the tourmaline is actually aesthitic is VERY difficult… like I said, despite having purchased many tourmalines in Madagascar, this is the best piece I have gotten in two trips there.

MGR02 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite (Polychrome!) Ibity Area, Vakinankaratra (Betafo) Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar 3.4x 2.3x 1.5 cm $1200 A really great polychrome tourmaline from Madagascar. This piece is entirely damage free, double terminated, a floater, and quite gemmy. To be fully appreciated, it must be backlit or held to the light, then the piece really shows off its colors. Ordinarily it would appear as shown in the images directly to the right and underneath this description. With strong lighting/ back lighting it appears as in the other images. This is a perfect toenail of this rare, calcium baring tourmaline, with crystals containing various greens and reds. It is a true polychrome, which thanks to the slightly flattened shape of the crystals allows its colors to be appreciated. Often, polychromes must be cut or sliced before this can happen. Specimens of this quality are not easy to find, even in Madagascar.

MGR03 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Andrembesoa Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

4.2x 3.5x 3.7 cm

$850

As I mentioned in the introduction, good matrix specimens are hard to find. This piece does not come from the Tsarafara locality, so the feldspar matrix has not crumbled away.

This is a deep purple, lustorus and terminated liddicoatite crystal on matrix. Tourmaline is what Madagascar is famous for, and in my opinion, the polychromes and the purple-pinks represent the finest examples of this material.

Pieces like this are incredibly rare. To begin with, tourmalines in this color range are only known from a couple other localities (Jonas Mine, Brazil and Malkhan, Russia) and Malagasy pieces like this one just do not make come up for sale, especially on matrix.

MGR04 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite, Quartz

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

4.2x 1.9x 1.7 cm

$880

A nice prism of bright polychrome tourmaline with a steep, very sharply pointed and fairly gemmy termination. Under ordinary lighting, it will appear as in the photograph directly to the right of this description, and the bottom photograph.

Please note that there is some chipping on the back near the termination, but this is only visible directly from the back.

Under strong lighting, its colors really start to shine through--as in the image directly below this description.

For the price, I think this is an excellent specimen. Malagasy liddicoatites with good color are not often seen for sale, the few I have seen online have been thumbnails priced from $200-$400... this is clearly much larger, and it has very good color.

MGR05 Bismutotantalite Antsirabé Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar 10.6x 9.2x 5.8 cm $3000 This specimen was posted in the previous update as struverite, but was subsequently found to be bismutotantalite though XRD analysis, so I am re-posting it. Bismutotantalite is a very rare oxide with the chemical formula Bi(Ta,Nb)O and this is a world class example of the species. I cannot recall ever seeing another for sale, and Mindat only has 5 images of the mineral. The best of those is a Brittish Museum specimen from the type locality Uganda, but I would argue that this one is better as this crystal is far more well exposed and significantly larger. This crystal measures 10.6 cm and weighs ALMOST 3 LBS, a monster for the species. I have heard that crystals like this existed, I had just never seen one. The crystal is remarkably intact, with only a small bit missing from the bottom. The final picture is of the bottom of the specimen, and even there you can see that there are clear faces and hardly any damage. There are no chips on the sides that would be displayed, and all the edges are sharp and clean, again somewhat remarkable as these tend to be weathered. Those that are not naturally weathered usually get damaged because the mineral is somewhat brittle, and minerals in Madagascar are rarely packed well.... though that is not the case with this one. If you want to clean this up a bit more, you could probably remove some of the white pegmatite residue with soap, a toothbrush, and some firm scrubbing. I have chosen not to do this, because I feel that the bits of pegmatite actually improve the appearance. All in all, this is a truly exceptional example of a rare species. I will also add that there are little bits of tourmaline stuck to the bottom.

MGR06 Columbite

Mahaiza Area, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

9.2x 6.1x 5.0 cm

$860

This piece was actually purchased on my previous trip, but it never got posted. It is a very large and heavy (over 1.5 lbs) columbite crystal from an alluvial deposit somewhere near the Mahaiza Commune. This material is typically completely rounded, with the crystal faces worn beyond recognition. In this specimen however, the crystal shape has been well preserved, with just enough rounding to hint at its alluvial origins.

For a Malagasy columbite, it is also quite large. Most crystalline of the crystalline examples are found in pegmatites, and are usually around 1.5 inches.

The locals collect this material to sell as ore—columbite-tantalite is the famous “coltan” that gets processed to obtain the tantalum and niobium. The tantalum is necessary to produce components (particularly capacitors) used in virtually all electronic devices; the niobium mostly goes into high grade structural steel.

MGR07 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

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

6.3x 1.8x 1.5 cm

$850

A fairly large, reddish-purple Liddicoatite tourmaline with a sharply pointed and steeply slanted termination.

Compared to most, this thing is pretty big. I have also noticed that the colored specimens tend to top off at much smaller sizes than the darker pieces... why this is though, I cannot say.

MGR08 Andradite var. Demantoid

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

10.0x 6.8x 3.6 cm

$1350

A cabinet specimen of demantoid garnets on matrix. Interestingly enough, the matrix is actually composed of garnet, not sedimentary rock, as was originally thought.

As with all of these, the color is best in sunlight. In incandescent light, the green tends to look somewhat dull.

By now most people know this, but the locality for these specimens is situated in a mangrove swamp which gets flooded by the tide every day.

For the size, I think the price is quite reasonable given what people have been asking for these....

MGR09 Andradite var. Demantoid

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

4.4x 2.1x 2.5 cm

$850

An aesthetic miniature specimen of green demantoid garnets on matrix. Interestingly enough, the matrix is actually composed of garnet, not sedimentary rock, as was originally thought.

As with all of these, the color is best in sunlight. In incandescent light, the green tends to look somewhat dull.

By now most people know this, but the locality for these specimens is situated in a mangrove swamp which gets flooded by the tide every day.

For a specimen like this, with this arrangement of crystals, with this color and with crystals of this size I think the price is quite reasonable, particularly given what people have been asking for these....

MGR10 Andradite var. Demantoid

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

5.2x 4.1x 4.0 cm

$480

A large miniature specimen of demantoid garnets on matrix. Interestingly enough, the matrix is actually composed of garnet, not sedimentary rock, as was originally thought.

As with all of these, the color is best in sunlight. In incandescent light, the green tends to look somewhat dull.

By now most people know this, but the locality for these specimens is situated in a mangrove swamp which gets flooded by the tide every day.

For the size, I think the price is quite reasonable given what people have been asking for these....

MGR11 Andradite var. Demantoid

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

6.6x 6.1x 3.1 cm

$480

A cabinet specimen of demantoid garnets on matrix. Interestingly enough, the matrix is actually composed of garnet, not sedimentary rock, as was originally thought.

As with all of these, the color is best in sunlight. In incandescent light, the green tends to look somewhat dull.

By now most people know this, but the locality for these specimens is situated in a mangrove swamp which gets flooded by the tide every day.

The color on this piece is amazing, even in incandescent light (normally this saps the color) this piece retains a bright green color that only improves with sunlight..

MGR12 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Andrembesoa Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar8.4x 8.4x 7.2 cm

$700

A bright pink, gemmy rubellite crystal on matrix. There is damage to the surrounding crystals, but the appeal of a specimen like this, is that it is one of the very rare occasions when material that is exclusively used for gem rough gets preserved in specimen form.

To begin with (and I suppose, as evidenced by the damage) these crystals rarely stay on matrix. At this site, the pegmatite is not decomposed as is the case in the mines around Ibity, however due to primitive mining methods and very tough rock (which requires more force from rudimentary hand tools) virtually all rubellite tourmalines of this color wind up as matrix free shards, which then get sent to the cutters.

This is one of the rare times when that has not been the case, and in my opinion, the damage is eclipsed by the fact that (again) this is a matrix example of something that is only ever seen as gem rough or cut stones.

As a matter of fact, how often do you see tourmaline CRYSTALS of this color from anywhere? And on matrix?

The only other locality/country that comes to mind is Nigeria, and again, those are always gem rough or cut as well.

MGR13 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Andrembesoa Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

5.8x 3.5x 2.9 cm

$690

Another specimen of matrix Liddicoatite. The main crystal is double terminated and intact, and has a deep purplish color.

Again, I cannot stress enough how difficult it is to find pieces like this. The last time I was in Madagascar, I was only able to find one purple crystal on matrix of this quality, and this time I obtained fewer than 5.

For the price I am sure you could get something flashier from Afghanistan or perhaps even California, but then again, those pieces are everywhere.

Tourmaline is what Madagascar is famous for, and in my opinion, the polychromes and the purples represent the finest examples of this material.

While Madagascar produces black tourmalines with clear tips and the occasional lightly-colored tourmaline on matrix, these are some of the hardest to find.

MGR14 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite, Quartz

Tsarafara, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Ibity Area, Vakinankaratra (Betafo) Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar5.1x 3.2x 2.7 cm

$430

A terminated liddicoatite tourmaline on matrix. The quartz is also terminated on this one, though it has some etching/contacting on the back near the termination.

I thought this piece was interesting because I had never seen one of these liddicoatites associated with such a complex quartz crystal.... it almost resembles one of those "fenster quartz" crystals.

I tried to take pictures from angles where the reflections highlighted both the faces of the quartz and of the tourmaline... unfortunately the images were only able to showcase one or the other.

MGR15 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Ibity Area, Vakinankaratra (Betafo) Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

3.3x 1.3x 1.0 cm

$450

A very bright tourmaline crystal. This piece is terminated, and the very brightest magenta possible for a tourmaline crystal. Perhaps there have been brighter pieces from Nigeria, but I have yet to see an actual crystal of the stuff.

The most common rubelites these days are from Afghanistan, the "bubble-gum pinks" from there don't come close to matching this one.

MGR16 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Ibity Area, Vakinankaratra (Betafo) Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar2.6x 1.0x 0.9 cm

$295

A very bright tourmaline crystal. This piece is terminated, and has the very brightest magenta/red possible for a tourmaline crystal. Perhaps there have been brighter pieces from Nigeria, but I have yet to see an actual crystal of the stuff.

The crystal has a very thin, olive green cap.

MGR17 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite

Antetezantsio pegmatites, Andrembesoa Commune, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

4.5x 2.3x 3.0 cm

$200

A terminated purple-pink liddicoatite crystal standing slightly out of its matrix. These tend to be very compacted, that is to say, the crystals are rarely freestanding. More often than not, they are either imbedded in their matrix or very tightly packed with all the orthoclase/quartz/etc.

I have noticed this consistently with specimens from Antetezantsio, so it would seem that pocket formation is less common at this pegmatite.

MGR18 Beryl var. Aquamarine

Central Madagascar

3.1x 2.4x 1.5 cm

$340

A short, fat crystal of blue Malagasy aquamarine. Aquamarine from Madagascar is actually somewhat hard to find, especially as proper crystals. Shards are available here and there, but cut stones seem to be the most common form of the material.

The top half of the crystal is extremely gemmy, and has a rich blue aqua color much deeper than you would expect for a crystal of this size.

This crystal has a domed termination; this seems to be more common in Malagasy aquamarines than in Pakistani ones (where flat terminations are prevalent.)

Unfortunately the best I can say for the locality of this one is "Central Madagascar". Many of the local dealers have no idea where their minerals come from, and specimens can change hands so many times in a complex chain of consignments that the information gets lost... the focus is obviously on selling the stone, rather than keeping all the information together.

MGR19 Rhodizite-Londonite with Liddicoatite

Antsongombato, Betafo Region, Madagascar

8.2x 4.6x 3.0 cm

$400

A really great rhodizite-londonite specimen, with multiple crystals on matrix.

Last time I visited Madagascar, undamaged specimens were virtually impossible to find. This time there were more available, however this is probably the best of those that I purchased, both for the size and number of crystals, as well as the color contrast with the rubellite tourmaline embedded in the matrix.

RESERVED

MGR20 Rhodizite-Londonite with Liddicoatite

Antsongombato, Betafo Region, Madagascar

5.1x 3.6x 2.6 cm

$200

A nice rhodizite-londonite specimen, with a single crystal sharing its matrix with deep pink tourmalines.

Last time I visited Madagascar, undamaged specimens were virtually impossible to find. This time there were more available, however this is one of my personal favorites because of the color contrast with the rubellite tourmaline, as well as the tourmaline's position in the matrix.

MGR21 Quartz Mahaiza Area, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar 13.3x 12.6x 7.5 cm $395 I have said this before, but as a general rule, I try not to buy quartz (amethyst excepted). In Madagascar, I have found that it is frequently necessary to break that rule because of the wide variety and beauty of some of the specimens available. This is a cluster of multiple, double terminated quartz crystals with a slight smokiness. There is minor damage on a couple of the terminations, but it can be displayed from a few different angles with none of this showing. This is a very beautiful piece, with a very three dimensional and sculptural quality.

MGR22 Sapphire (ORANGE!)

Ihosy District, Horombe Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar

2.8x 2.2x 1.3 cm

$300

A nice toenail, consisting of a single, orange sapphire crystal. There is a bit of edge wear, but orange is a very unusual color to find in crystalline corundum. A number of deposits produce rounded, alluvial examples of orange corundum (it always gets cut) but to find an orange crystal, especially of this size, is very unusual.

I should also add that this is not stained by rust-- the crystal is actually orange. I have seen poorly colored rubies from Vietnam and Pakistan that appear orange because of rust in cracks or interspersed just under the crystal's surface, but they lack the uniformity and color saturation of this one.

****(I received a couple e-mails about this one, though after examining it I noticed the color is a bit darker in person. The images have been reuploaded to reflect this more accurately)

MGR24 Tourmaline

Morondava Area, Western Madagascar

5.1x 2.4x 2.3 cm

$285

This tourmaline is not gemmy and has a lot of internal fracturing, but as it is one of only two like it that I have seen, I figured I’d purchase it.

To begin with, the specimen has a reasonably thick green cap on a pink body, which is somewhat unusual. The crystal has an unusual termination, far more rounded that is the norm for tourmaline, especially in Madagascar where the terminations tend to be exaggerated points.

The crystal is also slightly bent. Again, it's an unusual and very interesting piece. A bit paler in person than the pictures show (closer to pink than red)

MGR58 Tourmaline

Morondava Area, Western Madagascar

4.7x 3.8x 2.3 cm

$145

The tourmaline is not gemmy and has a lot of internal fracturing, but as it is one of only two like it that I have seen, I figured I’d purchase it.

This piece is similar tot he specimen above, except the crystal is smaller and on matrix. Again, it's an unusual and very interesting piece.

MGR25 Diopside (Chrome)

Central Madagascar
8.4x 3.0x 3.2 cm

$600

A large crystal of chrome diopside laying against a quartz matrix. The crystal is terminated, and has a good green color.

If I had not purchased this in Madagascar, I would have guessed it was from Pakistan, simply because Malagasy chrome diopsides are usually much smaller, are rarely available as specimens.

The few specimens that I have seen on the market have come from (very) old collections, and the overwhelming majority of new material goes to the cutters, so it does not surprise me that pieces like this are so seldom encountered.

MGR26 Diopside (Chrome)

Central Madagascar
7.0x 2.5x 1.7 cm

$430

A cluster of fairly long and terminated chrome diopside crystals. They have a good deal of internal fracturing, so unlike the specimen above the deep green color is not as readily visible. It does however, display excellent size and form, particularly given the position of the two main crystals relative to each other.

If I had not purchased this in Madagascar, I would have guessed it was from Pakistan, simply because Malagasy chrome diopsides are usually much smaller, are rarely available as specimens. The few specimens that I have seen on the market have come from (very) old collections, and the overwhelming majority of the new material goes to the cutters, so it does not surprise me that pieces like this are so seldom encountered.

MGR27 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite, Quartz

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

4.5x 3.1x 1.9 cm

$340

As I mentioned in the introduction, good matrix specimens of tourmaline are extremely rare. here is a terminated, purplish-black crystal on a quartz matrix. Interestingly, there are minor yellow undertones near the termination.

MGR28 Struverite

Ialamitana, Sahanivotry Commune, Antsirabé 2 District, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

2.7x 1.8x 1.3 cm

$85

A very good, and very sharp thumbnail of struverite from Madagascar.

Struverite is a tantalum rich variety of rutile, in the same series as ilmenorutile (the niobium rich member.)

MGR29 Columbite

Mahaiza Area, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

2.8x 1.9x 1.5 cm

$88

A nice and very sharp thumbnail of Malagasy columbite. This specimen shows the slightly fanned out and compound habit typical of Malagasy columbites.

MGR30 Chrysoberyl (Matrix!)

Tsitondroina, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar

5.3x 4.0x 3.3 cm

$185

Admittedly not the flashiest specimens, but certainly interesting. The Malagasy chrysoberyls you have seen in the past, whether small V-twins or large sixlings, probably came from the Lac Alaotra locality. These come from further south at Tsitondroina, near Fianarantsoa.

These were part of a find made about one and a half years ago. I searched though a group of over 60 specimens just to select 4, virtually everything was broken, but I did salvage these.

I saw some of these in Tucson, many of those were damaged too. Those were all marked "50% off" from prices that had to be 220% of retail...

MGR31 Chrysoberyl (Matrix!)

Tsitondroina, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar

7.0x 3.5x 5.3 cm

$165

These were part of a find made about one and a half years ago. I searched though a group of over 60 specimens just to select 4, virtually everything was broken, but I did salvage these.

I saw some of these in Tucson, many of those were damaged too. Those were all marked "50% off" from prices that had to be 220% of retail...

MGR32 Chrysoberyl (Matrix!)

Tsitondroina, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar

7.0x 5.0x 5.8

$165

These were part of a find made about one and a half years ago. I searched though a group of over 60 specimens just to select 4, virtually everything was broken, but I did salvage these.

I saw some of these in Tucson, many of those were damaged too. Those were all marked "50% off" from prices that had to be 220% of retail...

MGR33 Quartz (Phantom) Mahaiza Area, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

7.5x 2.6x 1.8 cm

$135

Another quartz specimen from Madagascar, this one with an exceptionally clear phantom If I had not purchased this in a rural village, I would have assumed that the phantom had been introduced through laser etching. Obviously however, this is natural. I have noticed that crystals like this frequently wind up with their faces polished to enhance the clarity and make the phantoms more visible. This one is in its natural state.

MGR34 Hibonite

Amboasary, Anosy (Fort Dauphin) Region, Tulear (Toliara) Province, Madagascar

6.8x 5.6x 6.5 cm

$485

Another one of those rare minerals that I made a point of trying to track down. Whereas the majority of the specimens on this page come from the central region, this piece comes from the southern part of the island.

Hibbonite is a rare earth beating aluminum oxide known from several locations, though the best crystals have undoubtedly come from the Fort Dauphin region. Interestingly, this species is also found in some meteorites.

Rarely seen for sale.

MGR35 Feldspar pseudomorph after Beryl

Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

6.6x 5.7x 4.1 cm

$385

A very unusual specimen of an orthoclase pseudomorph after beryl. Although the beryl is not terminated, the crystal’s lateral faces are well preserved. What is more, the matrix is composed of a feldspar that contrasts nicely with the pseudomorphed crystal.

This is admittedly not the flashiest specimen, but in my opinion it is the most unusual and cool (for lack of a better word) thing on this page. I can’t recall ever seeing something like this in the past…

MGR36 Beryl var. Aquamarine

Central Madagascar

3.8x 0.9x 0.8 cm

$180

An elongated and mildly etched crystal of Malagasy aquamarine. Aquamarine from Madagascar is actually somewhat hard to find, especially as proper crystals. Shards are available here and there, but cut stones seem to be the most common form of the material.

The crystal has frosted surfaces, but is actually fairly gemmy (see image below).

This crystal has a domed termination; this seems to be more common in Malagasy aquamarines than in Pakistani ones (where flat terminations are prevalent.)

MGR37 Beryl var. Aquamarine

Central Madagascar

4.6x 1.2x 1.1 cm

$195

An elongated and heavily etched crystal of Malagasy aquamarine. Aquamarine from Madagascar is actually somewhat hard to find, especially as proper crystals. Shards are available here and there, but cut stones seem to be the most common form of the material.

This crystal has a domed termination; this seems to be more common in Malagasy aquamarines than in Pakistani ones (where flat terminations are prevalent.)

MGR38 Beryl var. Aquamarine

Central Madagascar

4.8x 1.1x 0.8 cm

$160

An elongated crystal of Malagasy aquamarine. Aquamarine from Madagascar is actually somewhat hard to find, especially as proper crystals. Shards are available here and there, but cut stones seem to be the most common form of the material.

The crystal has striated surfaces, but it is actually fairly gemmy.

This crystal has a chip at the termination, which is naturally flat.

MGR39 Monazite

Ambatofotsikely pegmatite, Fidirana Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

6.1x 3.2x 2.0 cm

$450

A very large and sharp monazite crystal from Madagascar. I made a point to track down some of the rarer, uglier minerals, and this is one of the pieces I obtained.

Many of the monazites I purchased were obtained from one man, a miner who worked to bring out this and a number of other radioactives in one of the pagmatites near Antsirabe. After meeting him by chance in a mineral market, where he was trying to sell stones to the local dealers, I was invited to his house, a small, dirt floored shanty with walls composed of cardboard and scraps of wood. He had laid out a large quantity of radioactive material on the floor outside his house, sadly his two children were playing nearby…. I cautioned him about this, but I don’t think anything will change. I made a fairly large purchase, and he seemed really happy with the price he got.

Such large (and sharp!) monazite crystals are not common to see for sale, except out of very old collections.

Come to think of it, the last two "major" monazite occurrences were in Llallagua, Bolivia and at Buenopolis, Brazil... those crystals topped off around 8 mm and 1.5 inches, respectively.

MGR40 Monazite

Ambatofotsikely pegmatite, Fidirana Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

6.9x 4.7x 2.4 cm

$445

A very large and sharp monazite crystal from Madagascar. I made a point to track down some of the rarer, uglier minerals, and this is one of the pieces I obtained. This one displays good crystal form and is very large, though with some contacting on the reverse.

Such large (and sharp!) monazite crystals are not common to see for sale, except out of very old collections.

Come to think of it, the last two "major" monazite occurrences were in Llallagua, Bolivia and at Buenopolis, Brazil... those crystals topped off around 8 mm and 1.5 inches, respectively.

MGR41 Monazite

Ambatofotsikely pegmatite, Fidirana Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

7.0x 3.5x 2.0 cm

$440

A very large and sharp monazite crystal from Madagascar. I made a point to track down some of the rarer, uglier minerals, and this is one of the pieces I obtained.

Such large (and sharp!) monazite crystals are not common to see for sale, except out of very old collections.

Come to think of it, the last two "major" monazite occurrences were in Llallagua, Bolivia and at Buenopolis, Brazil... those crystals topped off around 8 mm and 1.5 inches, respectively.

MGR42 Monazite

Ambatofotsikely pegmatite, Fidirana Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

3.6x 2.4x 1.3 cm

$175

A very large and sharp monazite crystal from Madagascar. I made a point to track down some of the rarer, uglier minerals, and this is one of the pieces I obtained.

Come to think of it, the last two "major" monazite occurrences were in Llallagua, Bolivia and at Buenopolis, Brazil... those crystals topped off around 8 mm and 1.5 inches, respectively.

MGR43 Euxenite

Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

3.8x 2.4x 1.6 cm

$265

A nice radioactive cluster of terminated euxenite crystals from Madagascar. Single crystals are rare but obtainable, whereas clusters of multiple crystals are considerably harder to find. Interestingly, unlike virtually all the other euxenites I have seen from Madagascar, this one does not have the brown surface coating of alteration products. Most tend to appear brown (see below) with the black/metallic color of the euxenite visible only near chips…. Not the case with this one.

This piece is better and considerably more three dimensional in person... I realize the pictures make it look sort of flat and jumbled.

MGR45 Euxenite

Ambatofotsikely pegmatite, Fidirana Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

2.4x 2.3x 1.5 cm

$95

A very nice thumbnail of radioactive euxenite, consisting of a cluster of several terminated crystals slightly fanned out, as is the classic habit for Malagasy euxenite.

MGR47 Samarskite

Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

8.5x 5.7x 2.7 cm

$480

A very large pair of altered samarskite crystals. The man I purchased this from was selling it as “ampangabeite” which is an antiquated name for samarskite. The surfaces have altered to other uranium secondaries, however you can clearly see the faces of the two main, intersecting crystals. To find such large examples of crystalline samarskite is uncommon; it is possible to find rounded and weathered masses, but they display no crystal structure like this piece.

MGR48 Samarskite

Ambatofotsikely pegmatite, Fidirana Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

3.4x 2.1x 1.3 cm

$185

A very sharp crystal of samarskite from Madagascar. Most of the samarskites I am accustomed to seeing are either rounded masses, or chunks of shiny black stuff, where the lustrous surfaces indicate extensive damage.

To find sharp, terminated crystals like this is quite unusual. To find them this big is harder still.

MGR49 Samarskite

Ambatofotsikely pegmatite, Fidirana Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar

3.6x 2.0x 1.2 cm

$175

To find sharp, terminated crystals like this is quite unusual. To find them this big is harder still.

MGR50 Phenacite

Anjanabonoina Pegmatite, Ambohimanambola Commune, Betafo Dist., Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.4x 0.6x 0.55 cm

$85

A nice thumbnail phenacite from the Anjanabonoina Pegmatite. Many of these first get sold in Anbohimanambola, the last village on the way to the pegmatite before the road gets too bad to travel by car.

The trip between the village and the pegmatite can be made in 8 hours by motoscooter, however many of the miners are too poor to afford a scooter, leave alone gasoline or even shoes. Instead they walk an astounding THREE DAYS to reach the village and sell their wares, and then they must walk three days back to the mine.

MGR51 Phenacite

Anjanabonoina Pegmatite, Ambohimanambola Commune, Betafo Dist., Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.6x 0.8x 0.8 cm

$95

MGR52 Danburite

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

3.1x 1.0x 0.9 cm

$85

Anjabonoina is famous for its tourmalines (it is the primary source of the polychrome tourmaline slices). It is also notable for its phenacite (see above) however good danburite also occurs at this location, though much more rarely.

This is a terminated crystal with some edge wear, but the price takes this into account.

The trip between the pegmatite and the nearest village can be made in 8 hours by motoscooter, however many of the miners are too poor to afford a scooter, leave alone gasoline or even shoes. Instead they walk an astounding THREE DAYS to reach the village and sell their wares, and then they must walk three days back to the mine.

MGR53 Zircon

Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

2.3x 1.3x 1.1 cm

$145

A large zircon crystal, with some wear on the reverse. Malagasy zircons usually do not reach this size, typically they top off around 1.5 cm.

When backlit, it appears a deep brownish red.

MGR56 Zircon

Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

1.8x 1.5x 1.3 cm

$95

A nice thumbnail, consisting of a complete reddish-brown zircon crystal from Madagascar.

MGR57 Betafite

Betafo Area, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

3.2x 1.8x 1.3 cm

$90

A nice cluster of fairly sharp betafite crystals. the vat majority of the betafites that come out are well under 1 cm, and usually not very sharp. That doesn't change the fact that these are not terribly hard to find on the international market, but I figured it was an interesting fact worth mentioning anyway.

A nice thumbnail specimen of betafite from the type locality (the other major specimen producer is/was the Silver Crater Mine in Ontario, Canada)