MADAGASCAR!
This page contains selections from a recent trip to Madagascar. Two finds deserve particular attention. One is a spectacular find of auqmarines and heliodors from Befotaka--good samples of beryl are surprisingly scarce from the country, the last significant pocket I know of was about 7 years ago.
Also of note was new find of interesting, spray-like liddicoatite tourmalines (now officially called fluor-liddicoatite) from the Sahatany area. I didn't get very many, but have posted the best 3 here.
Also, I will be in room 242 at the Hotel Tucson City Center starting on Jan 28th. I am still preparing specimens from the trip, but as always, I like to offer my favorite pieces to online visitors first.
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MQA01 Beryl var. Heliodor-Aquamarine
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
14.0x 2.4x 2.15 cm
$16000
A very beautiful doubly terminated crystal of beryl that grades from heliodor near the top, to aquamarine near the base.
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously-- usually nothing particularly gemmy. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to claim that the pieces recovered from this pocket are probably some of the best beryl specimens to come from Madagascar in the last 10-15 years.
There is some sub-surface pocket dirt-- this is visible more on one side than the other. I have included pictures of both sides (to see the dirtier side, see the pictures below the description and at the very bottom). It is somewhat difficult to get the color right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a few different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight-- as you can see, the thing really glows if you light it correctly, and the effect can be recreated with a well-placed LED.
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MQA02 Beryl var. Heliodor
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
6.8x 2.3x 2.1 cm
$3000
A gemmy, temrinated heliodor crystal from a recent find in Madagascar.
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously-- usually nothing particularly gemmy.
There is some sub-surface pocket dirt. While it is visible in person, the camera seems to lock on to it-- I'm posting it anyway, but this one is likely to be better appreciated in person, at a show.
It is somewhat difficult to get the color right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a few different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight-- as you can see, the thing really glows if you light it correctly, and the effect can be recreated with a well-placed LED.
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MQA03 Beryl var. Heliodor
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
4.5x 1.8x 1.3 cm
$1250
A gemmy, temrinated heliodor crystal from a recent find in Madagascar.
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously-- usually nothing particularly gemmy.
It is somewhat difficult to get the color right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a few different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight-- as you can see, the thing really glows if you light it correctly, and the effect can be recreated with a well-placed LED.
MQA04 Beryl var. Aquamarine
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
4.4x 3.2x 2.6 cm
$2500
A gemmy, terminated aquamarine crystal from a recent find in Madagascar.
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously-- usually nothing particularly gemmy.
It is somewhat difficult to get the color right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a few different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight-- as you can see, the thing really glows if you light it correctly, and the effect can be recreated with a well-placed LED.
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MQA05 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
4.1x 1.5x 1.4 cm
$850
A liddicoatite crystal showing bands of pink, blackish, and colorless, with the steep termination typical of liddicoatite tourmalines from Madagascar.
The specimen is pictured against two different backgrounds, and is backlit in the last image.
MQA06 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
4.6x 1.9x 1.65 cm
$680
What at first glance appears to be merely a dark tourmaline crystal with a pink cap, is actually a multicolored polychrome crystal. As is typical with these Malagasy polychromes, the piece needs back lighting to be fully appreciated.
MQA07 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.9x 1.4x 1.25 cm
$680
A terminated, deep reddish-pink liddicoatite crystal from Madagascar. Although small compared to the largest to come from the country, finding such brightly colored examples of this size (that do not require backlighting to be appreciated) is not particularly easy.
MQA08 Quartz (Japan Law Twin)
Mahaiza Area, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
6.8x 5.5x 0.9 cm
$400
A perfect Japan law twin from Mahaiza. Madagascar has a few localities that produce quartz twins (think of the amethyst or milky samples from Andilamena) but such samples are exceedingly rare from Mahaiza, despite the area producing industrial quartz by the ton.
Actually, this piece is exceptionally sharp and transparent for any Malagasy locality. It was purchased from an area dealer who handles large quantities of industrial quartz—from the vast quantities he handles, he obviously saw this one was special and set it aside.
MQA09 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
5.0 x 4.1x 3.6 cm
$680
A doubly terminated polychrome liddicoatite crystal, on matrix. The overall composition and balance of the piece are quite nice. This one is a bit larger than most-- and also a bit thinner. The second quality is particularly nice, as extra thickness tends to mean darker color when it comes to these polychromes. With backlighting (as in the last image) it the colors come out quite nicely.
To find one of these on matrix is not the most common thing either, owing both to the geology of the area, and to the primitive methods of specimen extraction.
MQA10 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
8.5x 7.5x 6.9 cm
$1200
A large, hefty liddicoatite crystal from Madagascar. On every trip I am shown at least one of these, and I inevitably have to turn them down because the combination of price, damage, and color are not particularly favorable.
This one is not perfect either (you can see chipping on the top edge) but it displays well from the front (the visibility of the damage is minimized from that angle) and I'm offering it for less than pieces I've turned down in Madagascar, if you can believe that.
This is basically why all the tourmalines you see from Madagascar are small crystals or slices: the big ones are dark (there are of course some very expensive exceptions)
The outer ~6ish millimeters of the top faces are transparent, which gives this piece the sense of being a polychrome liddicoatite. When they are this size, they are typically sent to be sliced, so you don't see them often-- especially considering the market for dark tourmaline is a bit slower. I do not however think this would yield nice slices-- at best, a few would be black circles with a colored rind. Even so, such is the usual fate of crystals like this.
MQA11 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.6x 3.4x 2.2 cm
$600
A beautiful spray of fine tourmaline crystals from a recent find in the Sahatany valley. I purchased a small group of this material, this was the best example from what I saw. The others were mostly thumbnails, this was one of only 3 miniatures, and it has the best form by far.
These sprays are something of a novelty for the area-- on past trips I had seen plenty of the usual prismatic crystals, this was the first time I had seen sprays in any quantity.
MQA12 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.2x 2.0x 1.7 cm
$360
Another spray of tourmaline from a recent find in the Sahatany Valley. The form on this piece is not quite as good as MQA11, but it makes up for it with its deeper pink color. A number of the small terminations are sheared (see the close-up image) but overall it is exactly as shown.
Interesting new material from a locality that is primarily known for producing prismatic crystals.
MQA13 Corundum var. Sapphire
Zazafotsy, Ihosy Dist., Horombe Region, Fianarantsoa Prov., Madagascar
4.1x 3.3x 1.9 cm
$195
An excellent miniature example of sapphire from this now famous locality located literally in the middle of nowhere.
The sapphire crystal on this piece is perfectly terminated, well exposed and nicely centered on its matrix. Better yet, at this quarry, the sapphire crystals occur within a halo of white mineralization that sets them off nicely from their dark matrixes. I purchased a number of other pieces without that white mineralization that I will not be posting on the website-- believe me, it makes a difference in the appearance of the specimen..
MQA14 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite on Quartz
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
8.0x 4.5x 4.8 cm
$385
A nice sample of liddicoatite on matrix, with two singly terminated crystals on a nice quartz formation.
The quartz formation is beautiful, and so is the color of the crystals.... unfortunately the placement of the crystals on the quartz means that it can only be positioned to display one of those features at the time.
Regardless, it's a beautiful specimen and a rare example of a matrix liddicoatite from this location-- the decomposed pegamatite (and primitive mining methods) mean that virtually all specimens from this location are recovered off matrix.
MQA15 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mahaiza Area, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
6.9x 3.4x 4.3 cm
$180
A nice example of this very distinctive, deeply colored tourmaline from workings around Mahaiza.
I had just closed the doors and the car was about to start moving when a miner ran up to the car and handed me a small plastic bag with several of these wrapped in newspaper. I have come across these of every trip-- they are rarely large, and frequently damaged-- but a couple in this lot had decent composition and were fairly clean. So, after spreading them out on the dashboard, I bought them and am posting my favorite couple here. By the standards of other Malagasy localities, they lack transparency, but the color is certainly unlike tourmaline from anywhere else in the world.
MQA16 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mahaiza Area, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
8.2x 3.4x 3.2 cm
$175
A nice example of this very distinctive, deeply colored tourmaline from workings around Mahaiza. These are small, but unusually transparent for the area. Actually, more often than not, they are seen frozen in the matrixes of rhodizite-londonite speicmens from the same locality rather than as standing, terminated crystals.
I had just closed the doors and the car was about to start moving when a miner ran up to the car and handed me a small plastic bag with several of these wrapped in newspaper. I have come across these of every trip-- they are rarely large, and frequently damaged-- but a couple in this lot had decent composition and were fairly clean, so after spreading them out on the dashboard, I bought them and am posting my favorite couple here.
MQA17 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mahaiza Commune, Betafo Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
5.3x 2.8x 2.3 cm
$165
A nice example of this very distinctive, deeply colored tourmaline from workings around Mahaiza. The crystals on this piece are sitting at the end of an elongated matrix. More often than not, they are seen frozen in the matrixes of rhodizite-londonite specimens from the same locality rather than as standing, terminated crystals.
MQA18 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mahaiza Area, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
2.6x 2.3x 2.4 cm
$135
A nice example of this very distinctive, purplish-pink tourmaline from workings around Mahaiza. More often than not, they are seen frozen in the matrixes of rhodizite-londonite speicmens from the same locality rather than as standing, terminated crystals.
MQA19 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mahaiza Area, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
2.4x 2.1x 2.1 cm
$120
A nice thumbnail of this very distinctive, purplish-pink tourmaline from workings around Mahaiza. More often than not, they are seen frozen in the matrixes of rhodizite-londonite speicmens from the same locality rather than as standing, terminated crystals.
MQA20 Rhodizite-Londonite
Antsongombato, Betafo Region, Madagascar
6.0x 5.2x 2.6 cm
$400
A beautiful sample of rhodizite-londonite, with a single pseudo octahedral crystal on matrix. It is not at all unusual to find these crystals on matrix, but to see them on a matrix that is so (comparatively) pretty and well crystallized is highly unusual.
Since I have received this question a couple times, I will answer it in advance: I label them as "rhodizite-londinite" because they have not been tested, and my sense of smell (joke) is not good enough to determine precisely which end-member is present on the specimen.....
MQA21 Rhodizite-Londonite
Antsongombato, Betafo Region, Madagascar
6.2x 3.4x 3.1 cm
$385
A sizable and very well exposed crystal of rhodizite-londonite on matrix, sprinkled with a light druse of something else that I cannot identify.
Since I have received this question a couple times, I will answer it in advance: I label them as "rhodizite-londinite" because they have not been tested, and my sense of smell (joke) is not good enough to determine precisely which end-member is present on the specimen.....
MQA22 Rhodizite-Londonite
Betafo Region, Madagascar
4.8x 3.2x 2.2 cm
$385
A sample hosting a couple large and unusually gemmy rhodizite-lonodite crystals from a new discovery somewhere in Madagascar's Betafo region-- unfortunately I was unable to get more precise locality information.
Some of these occurred on matrixes of an unidentified metallic mineral-- this one was the best crystallized example, but it unfortunately has none of the metallic species present.
Overall, this is an excellent sample of the mineral-- the position, size, sharpness and relative clarity (for the size) of the main crystal is excellent.
MQA23 Rhodizite-Londonite
Antsongombato, Betafo Region, Madagascar
3.6x 3.2x 2.2 cm
$165
A nice and well balanced specimen of rhodizite-londinite on a matrix containing a few partial, frozen tourmaline crystals that impart a nice degree of color contrast..
MQA24 Andradite var. Demantoid
Antetezambato, Ambanja Dist., Diana Region, Antsiranana Prov., Madagascar
3.3x 2.4x 2.1 cm
$160
A nice miniature sample hosting a reasonably gemmy, olive green demantoid crystal. This discovery was made around 2009, when a couple fishermen noticed a few loose garnets in a mangrove swamp. Over the following months, the area was split into plots and transformed into a mining camp where the prospectors would come and go with the tides. The locality has since been depleted.
I have mostly refrained from buying these in the past, as there were way too many manufactured (glued) pieces on the market. This one though, I felt confident was real.
The brighter image is taken in sunlight.
MQA25 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Anjanabonoina , Ambohimanambola Commune, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.0x 1.4x 0.1 cm
$265
A very beautiful matched pair of liddicoatite slices from Anjanabonoina, the locality famous for producing the best sliceable liddicoatites. Ironically, when you see these before being worked, they tend to be rather unappealing and dark.
Whoever cut this thing possessed excellent skill was was very frugal.... he (or she) must have known it was a good crystal, because it is sliced very thinly (just under 1 mm.)
I am not sure what the going rates are for these things-- I may very well be asking a high price, but I purchased almost a pound of these things, and this was my favorite pair. Backed with a bit of silver (or another lightly colored reflective material) they would make a stunning pair of earrings.
The slices are mounted in a perky box, hot glued to a bit of white card stock to better show their color. I removed them to re-position the crystals with no problem, but if you are feeling especially cautious a quick immersion in rubbing alcohol will loosen them nicely. The given dimensions are of a single slice.
MQA26 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Anjanabonoina , Ambohimanambola Commune, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.2x 2.7x 0.2 cm
$185
A very beautiful matched group of liddicoatite slices from Anjanabonoina, the locality famous for producing the best sliceable liddicoatites. Ironically, when you see these before being worked, they tend to be rather unappealing and dark.
I purchased quite a few of these things, and rather than put them in paper jewelry boxes and leave them in a flat, I figured I'd have a little fun trying to make some sets. These four worked out to be a rather nice butterfly-- if you have metal smithing skills, you might consider setting them more permanently.
Please note: the given dimensions are of the arrangement, as mounted.
The slices are mounted in a perky box, hot glued to a bit of white card stock to better show their color. I removed some of these sets from their backings to reposition them with no problem, but if you are feeling especially cautious a quick immersion in rubbing alcohol will loosen them nicely.
MQA27 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Anjanabonoina , Ambohimanambola Commune, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
1.7x 1.6x 0.15 cm
$175
A very beautiful matched pair of liddicoatite slices from Anjanabonoina, the locality famous for producing the best sliceable liddicoatites. These have the sought after "Mercedes sign" and good color.
Backed with a bit of silver, white enamel (or another lightly colored reflective material) they would make a stunning pair of earrings.
The slices are mounted in a perky box, hot glued to a bit of white card stock to better show their color. I removed some of these sets from their backings to reposition them with no problem, but if you are feeling especially cautious a quick immersion in rubbing alcohol will loosen them nicely.
Please note: the given dimensions are of one of the slices, the second will be very close but not exactly the same.
MQA28 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Anjanabonoina , Ambohimanambola Commune, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.2x 2.3x 0.2 cm
$170
A very beautiful matched group of liddicoatite slices from Anjanabonoina, the locality famous for producing the best sliceable liddicoatites. Ironically, when you see these before being worked, they tend to be rather unappealing and dark.
I purchased quite a few of these things, and rather than put them in paper jewelry boxes and leave them in a flat, I figured I'd have a little fun trying to make some sets. These four worked out to be a decent butterfly-- if you have metal smithing skills, you might consider setting them more permanently.
Please note: the given dimensions are of the arrangement, as mounted.
The slices are mounted in a perky box, hot glued to a white card stock to better show their color. I removed some of these sets from their backings to reposition them with no problem, but if you are feeling especially cautious a quick immersion in rubbing alcohol will loosen them nicely.
MQA28 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Anjanabonoina , Ambohimanambola Commune, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
1.15x 0.9x 0.2 cm
$0
A very beautiful group of liddicoatite slices from Anjanabonoina, the locality famous for producing the best sliceable liddicoatites. Ironically, when you see these before being worked, they tend to be rather unappealing and dark.
These slices can either be mounted into a single pendant, or to be used separately in jewelry projects-- the bluish-green color is rather unusual for these, and adds a nice bit of contrast.
Please note: the given dimensions are of the LARGEST SLICE. The arrangement as mounted and shown in the picture, measures 2.9 cm from top to bottm.
The slices are mounted in a perky box, hot glued to a white card stock to better show their color. I removed some of these sets from their backings to reposition them with no problem, but if you are feeling especially cautious a quick immersion in rubbing alcohol will loosen them nicely.
MQA29 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Anjanabonoina , Ambohimanambola Commune, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
1.15x 1.15x 0.2 cm
$140
A beautiful group of 4 liddicoatite slices from Anjanabonoina, the locality famous for producing the best sliceable liddicoatites. Ironically, when you see these before being worked, they tend to be rather unappealing and dark.
Please note: the given dimensions are of the largest slice.
The slices are mounted in a perky box, hot glued to a white card stock to better show their color. I removed some of these sets from their backings to reposition them with no problem, but if you are feeling especially cautious a quick immersion in rubbing alcohol will loosen them nicely.
MQA30 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
4.4x 3.2x 2.6 cm
$350
A cluster of polychrome liddicoatite crystals, on matrix. With backlighting, these show a deep reddish color.
There is damage to the piece and this is reflected in the price-- the position arrangement of the two main (and intact) crystals however makes it look considerably more impressive (and expensive) though, despite the damage.
MQA31 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.45x 2.25x 1.35 cm
$265
A pair of parallel, doubly terminated polychrome liddicoatite crystals. Like most of these, they require strong light to be fully appreciated. With backlighting, the crystals show a reddish color.
MQA32 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.6x 2.4x 1.5 cm
$175
A terminated polychrome liddicoatite crystal, clinging to a partial quartz crystal. The tourmaline has a natural crack, but is not repaired. As with most of these Malagasy polychromes, the crystal requires strong lighting for the color to be fully appreciated.
MQA33 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.4x 2.0x 1.6 cm
$225
The best thumbnail I was able to obtain from this new find featuring a spray of fine pink liddicoatite crystals attached to a bit of albite.
Good examples are something of a novelty for the location--the area produces mainly prisms. I had seen only a couple in the past but never quite as good as the ones from this find. And of course, given their relative delicateness, they tend to get destroyed.
This piece has particularly good form, and overall balance. I consider it the second best from the group I was able to obtain-- and only because the other is larger.
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MQA34 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.5x 2.3x 1.7 cm
$200
A great thumbnail from this unusual new find, consisting of a spray of pinkish liddicoatite crystals .
Good examples are something of a novelty for the location--the area produces mainly prisms. I had seen only a couple in the past but never quite as good as the ones from this find. And of course, given their relative delicateness, they tend to get destroyed.
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MQA35 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.2x 2.6x 1.4 cm
$335
A terminated liddicoatite crystal perched on a bit of quartz, grading from a greenish base to pinksh orange.
MQA36 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Sahatany Valley, Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.2x 2.1x 1.65 cm
$400
A deep purplish-pink-red crystal of liddicoatite tourmaline. When you hold this to the sun (or just a lamp) the thing lights up incredibly.
MQA36A Quartz incl. Tourmaline
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
4.3x 1.8x 1.3 cm
$180
A really pretty quartz point with a light smokey color, included by tourmaline that appears to have a bluish-green hue.
The dealer who had this wanted to keep it for her collection, but I really wanted to post it on the site so we worked something out. It really is quite pretty, despite not being all that large.
MQA37 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.4x 0.8x 0.75 cm
$185
A beautiful single crystal of graded liddicoatite from Mt. Ibity.
MQA38 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.3x 1.15x 1.05 cm
$170
A beautiful single crystal of graded liddicoatite from Mt. Ibity.
MQA39 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.5x 0.8x 0.7 cm
$185
A beautiful single crystal of graded liddicoatite from Mt. Ibity.
MQA40 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.0x 0.9x 0.8 cm
$185
A beautiful single crystal of polychrome liddicoatite from Mt. Ibity, with a bit of albite clinging to the base. When backlit, you can see a bit of a green core.
MQA41 Garnet
Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov, Madagascar
14.0x 8.1x 6.0 cm
$395
A large cabinet specimen of orange garnet on matrix, from recent finds. I have only photographed the display side, but there are several more complete and similarly sized crystals on the back as well.
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MQA42 Garnet
Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov, Madagascar
8.9x 4.7x 4.0 cm
$225
A pair of orange-brown garnet crystals on matrix, from recent finds around Antsirabe.
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MQA43 Garnet
Ialamitana, Antsirabé 2 District, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
4.3x 2.9x 1.7 cm
$85
A nicely positioned garnet crystal on a light colored matrix.
MQA44 Garnet
Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov, Madagascar
2.4x 2.2x 1.4 cm
$135
An excellent thumbnail example of orange garnet from a recent find. There were a fair number of these available, but most were quite beaten up. I selected 3 peices-- two larger examples and then this thumbnail. The composition and sharpness are pretty good on this one.
MQA45 Rutile
Ambositra District, Amoron'i Mania Region, Fianarantsoa Prov., Madagascar
5.1x 3.2x 1.9 cm
$175
A very lustrous and well isolated crytsal of rutile on matrix.
MQA46 Tourmaline var. Liddicoatite
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
2.6x 1.6x 1.25
$250
A lustrous and terminated crystal of brownish orange tourmaline from Madagascar.
MQA47 Garnet
Ialamitana, Antsirabé 2 District, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
4.3x 3.3x 2.7 cm
$85
A nice garnet specimen on a light colored matrix. There is a bit of chipping on one side, but as you can see, it displays fine from a couple different angles.
MQA48 Lepidolite with Muscovite
Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov, Madagascar
5.3x 4.1x 1.4 cm
$95
An unusual mica specimen from Madagascar. This one is a "book" of muscovite crystals, with an epitaxial lepidolite growth. I've seen a few of these from Brazil and a couple very old ones from New England, but this is my first time seeing such an example from Madagascar. All pictures are of the same side.
MQA49 Beryl var. Aquamarine
Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov, Madagascar
3.25x 1.1x 0.9 cm
$185
An excellent blue aquamarine thumbnail from Madagascar (though from a different find/ location than the others in this update.)
MQA50 Tourmaline
Menabe Region, Tulear Prov., Madagascar
7.2x 3.3x 6.4 cm
$145
A somewhat different sample of tourmaline for Madagascar, this one with a terminated crystal frozen in matrix.
MQA52 Manandonite
Antandrokomby pegmatite, Manandona Valley, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
4.3x 3.3x 1.7 cm
$85
The amoebas in the Malagasy water have not eaten my brain, nor am I trying to trick you guys with something I found in the
garden—this wonderfully lackluster specimen is a rare sample of manandonite, a
rare lithium aluminum phyllosilicate known from only two localities world wide
(this is from the type locality.)
MQA53 Manandonite
Antandrokomby pegmatite, Manandona Valley, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
3.5x 2.8x 2.8 cm
$70
The amoebas in the Malagasy water have not eaten my brain, nor am I trying to trick you guys with something I found in the garden—this wonderfully lackluster specimen is a rare sample of manandonite, a rare lithium aluminum phyllosilicate known from only two localities world wide (this is from the type locality.)
MQA54 Smoky Quartz
Mt Ibity, Antsirabé 2 Dist., Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar
9.6x 2.9x 3.7 cm
$120
A nice floater cluster of very transparent smoky quartz, from the workings around Mt. Ibity.
MQA55 Quartz var. Amethyst
Alaotra-Mangoro Region, Toamasina Province, Madagascar
4.5x 2.1x 1.9 cm
$140
A beautiful amethyst scepter from Madagascar-- I feel like most of the Malagasy examples I have seen have a colorless base, but this one has purple coloration throughout.
MQA56 Quartz var. Amethyst
Alaotra-Mangoro Region, Toamasina Province, Madagascar
4.3x 2.6x 2.3 cm
$140
A beautiful amethyst scepter from Madagascar.
MQA57 Beryl var. Aquamarine
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
5.1x 1.7x 1.7 cm
$750
A beautful aquamarine with a chisel-like temrination, from Madagascar. This piece comes from a recently discovered pocket that produced a small quantity of excellent heliodors and aquamarines.
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously-- usually nothing particularly gemmy. With that said, good beryl specimens are not common from Madagascar-- in fact, the last time I know of a decent pocket being discovered was almost 7 years ago.
It is somewhat difficult to get the color right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a couple different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight-- as you can see, the thing really glows if you light it correctly, and the effect can be recreated with a well-placed LED.
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MQA58 Beryl var. Aquamarine
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
6.9x 3.4x 2.4 cm
$3600
A beautiful, terminated aquamarine with a greenish tinge, from Madagascar. This piece comes from a recently discovered pocket that produced a small quantity of excellent heliodors and aquamarines. Some are obviously one or the other, this one is somewhere in between.
There is some sub-surface pocket dirt, mainly on the back.
This was my fourth trip to the country, and I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples, usually nothing particularly gemmy. With that said, good beryl specimens are not common from Madagascar-- in fact, the last time I know of a decent pocket being discovered was almost 7 years ago.
It is somewhat difficult to get the color right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a couple different backgrounds-- the super bright images are iPhone pictures in direct winter sunlight-- as you can see, the thing really glows if you light it correctly, and the effect can be recreated with a well-placed LED. I've taken pictures of both the display side (cleaner) and the back.
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MQA59 Beryl var. Aquamarine
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
9.4x 3.1x 3.0 cm
$2800
A doubly terminated aquamarine with a greenish tinge, from Madagascar. This piece comes from a recently discovered pocket that produced a small quantity of excellent heliodors and aquamarines. Some are obviously one or the other, this one is somewhere in between.
This one has quite a bit of sub-surface pocket dirt-- it could be greatly improved with some work (I think), but I'm leaving it as is. The price does take this into account. Personally, I think it is best displayed on its side, to show that it is doubly terminated. Fortunately, the display side is the cleaner of the two.
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously-- usually nothing particularly gemmy. With that said, good beryl specimens are not common from Madagascar-- in fact, the last time I know of a decent pocket being discovered was almost 7 years ago.
It is somewhat difficult to get the color right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a couple different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight-- as you can see, the thing really glows if you light it correctly, and the effect can be recreated with a well-placed LED. I've taken pictures of both the display side (cleaner) and the back.
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MQA59 Beryl var. Heliodor
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
6.1x 1.25x 1.0 cm
$680
A beautiful, doubly terminated heliodor from Madagascar. This piece comes from a recently discovered pocket that produced a small quantity of excellent heliodors and aquamarines. Some are obviously one or the other, this one is definitely heliodor. One termination is flat, the other is dome shaped.
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously-- usually nothing particularly gemmy. With that said, good beryl specimens are not common from Madagascar-- in fact, the last time I know of a decent pocket being discovered was almost 7 years ago. That is not to say there have been none since, but I certainly haven't seen new examples in any quantity since then.
It is somewhat difficult to get the color right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a couple different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight-- as you can see, the thing really glows if you light it correctly, and the effect can be recreated with a well-placed LED.
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MQA60 Beryl var. Heliodor
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
4.8x 1.6x 1.3 cm
$360
REPAIRED
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously. With that said, good beryl specimens are not common from Madagascar-- in fact, the last time I know of a decent pocket being discovered was almost 7 years ago. That is not to say there have been none since, but I certainly haven't seen new examples in any quantity since then.
The color is somewhat difficult to get it right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a couple different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight.
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MQA61 Beryl var. Heliodor
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
4.7x 1.05x 0.7 cm
$390
A doubly terminated, lightly colored heliodor from Madagascar-- the bottom one seems to be naturally broken and rehealed. This piece comes from a recently discovered pocket that produced a small quantity of excellent heliodors and aquamarines.
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously.. With that said, good beryl specimens are not common from Madagascar-- in fact, the last time I know of a decent pocket being discovered was almost 7 years ago. That is not to say there have been none since, but I certainly haven't seen new examples in any quantity since then.
The color is somewhat difficult to get it right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a couple different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight.
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MQA62 Beryl var. Heliodor
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
4.3x 0.95x 0.8 cm
$335
A doubly terminated, lightly colored heliodor from Madagascar. This piece comes from a recently discovered pocket that produced a small quantity of excellent heliodors and aquamarines. Some were obviously one or the other, this one is a bit more on the heliodor side and shows some light zoning.
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously. With that said, good beryl specimens are not common from Madagascar-- in fact, the last time I know of a decent pocket being discovered was almost 7 years ago. That is not to say there have been none since, but I certainly haven't seen new examples in any quantity since then.
The color is somewhat difficult to get it right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a couple different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight.
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MQA63 Beryl
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
3.4x 1.75x 1.5 cm
$425
A terminated, gemmy, and deeply colored aquamarine from Madagascar. This piece comes from a recently discovered pocket that produced a small quantity of excellent heliodors and aquamarines. Some were obviously one or the other, this one is more ambiguous
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously. With that said, good beryl specimens are not common from Madagascar-- in fact, the last time I know of a decent pocket being discovered was almost 7 years ago. That is not to say there have been none since, but I certainly haven't seen new examples in any quantity since then.
The color is somewhat difficult to get it right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a couple different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight.
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MQA64 Beryl var. Heliodor
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
4.6x 1.5x 1.35 cm
$700
A terminated, gemmy, and deeply colored heliodor from Madagascar. This piece comes from a recently discovered pocket that produced a small quantity of excellent heliodors and aquamarines. Some crystals from the pocket were more blue or greenish, but this one is strongly heliodor.
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously. With that said, good beryl specimens are not common from Madagascar-- in fact, the last time I know of a decent pocket being discovered was almost 7 years ago. That is not to say there have been none since, but I certainly haven't seen new examples in any quantity since then.
The color is somewhat difficult to get it right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a couple different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight.
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MQA65 Beryl
Befotaka Sud District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
4.8x 1.6x 1.3 cm
$395
A terminated, lightly colored heliodor from Madagascar. This piece comes from a recently discovered pocket that produced a small quantity of heliodors and aquamarines. Some were obviously one or the other, this one is a bit more ambiguous.
Despite this being my fourth trip to the country, I had only ever come away with a few beryl samples previously. With that said, good beryl specimens are not common from Madagascar-- in fact, the last time I know of a decent pocket being discovered was almost 7 years ago. That is not to say there have been none since, but I certainly haven't seen new examples in any quantity since then.
This one is a bit cloudier, and color is somewhat difficult to get it right in the pictures, so I have photographed it with a couple different backgrounds-- the super bright image is an iPhone picture in direct winter sunlight.
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