18MA29 Grandidierite
Tranomaro Commune, Amboasary District, Anosy Region, Tuléar Province, Madagascar
4.0x 2.0x 1.4 cm
$600
In 2016 there was a rather spectacular find of this very rare blue-green borosilicate mineral in southern Madagascar. I has seen some available on my previous trip, but the quality was horrible-- they were basically formless shards, and few if any had crystal faces.
There was a little bit more available this time around, but once again, the majority were shards. Still, I looked through them and was able to obtain a small number of pieces that had visible crystal faces-- this one is quite exceptional, as it is composed of a few diverging crystals with very clear and sharp faces (though it's contacted on the reverse.)
It really is quite good for what it is.
