Titanite also known as sphene (from Greek sphenos which means wedge-shaped), forms flattened wedge-shaped crystals, commonly twinned with prominent re-entry angles; massive, compact and lamellar forms are also found. It occurs as an accessory mineral in igneous rocks; in schists, gneisses and other metamorphic rocks, and is also found as a detrital mineral in some sedimentary deposits.
The type locality of Titanite is: Germany, Bavaria, Bavarian Forest, Passau, Graphite mines. It was discovered in 1795. Source localities include: Pakistan; Italy; Russia; China; Brazil; Tujetsch, St. Gothard, Switzerland; Madagascar; Salzburg, Austria; Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada; Sanford, Maine, Gouverneur, Diana, Rossie, Fine, Pitcairn, Brewster, New York and California in the USA.
Mindat currently lists 3806 localities where Titanite has been found.
The biggest crystals measuring 16cm have been found at Capelinha in Brazil.
As a gemstone it is very high prized for its exceptional dispersive power which is said to even exceed that of diamonds.

Afghanistan

Auraghuq, Farghamiru, Jurm District, Badakhshan, Afghanistan

Kokcha Valley, Badakhshan, Afghanistan

Australia

Huonville Station, Yancowinna Co., New South Wales, Australia

Approximately thirty kilometres south of Broken Hill, on the flank of a small rise, is a curiosity of sorts. On this hill is a pit that was worked periodically over the last seventy years as a source of gem quality sphene – the old alternative gemstone name for the mineral titanite.
The titanite occurs in a pipe style deposit that is suggested to have formed during retrograde metamorphism along fracture zones in the Little Broken Hill Gabbro. This gabbro is largest of several ultrabasic intrusives in the Broken Hill block post dating the high-grade metamorphic rocks that dominate in the region. The outcrop of the gabbro has a distinct red-brown colour and is clearly seen on aerial photographs contrasting darker against the surrounding metamorphic rocks.
_{Trevor Dart}

Austria

Grauleitenspitze south slope, Mallnitz, Spittal an der Drau District, Carinthia, Austria

Arnoldhöhe, Mallnitz, Spittal an der Drau District, Carinthia, Austria

Dösenbach valley, Mallnitz, Spittal an der Drau District, Carinthia, Austria

Auernig, Mallnitz, Spittal an der Drau District, Carinthia, Austria

Seebach valley, Mallnitz, Spittal an der Drau District, Carinthia, Austria

In 1997 it was Gerhard Hörnler to open the best Carinthian Titanite cleft in Seebach valley not far away of the road. The quartz vein had been inspected by lots of 'Stansuacha' (Carinthian expression for people collecting alpine minerals) including the author of these lines. Nobody had expected that this long vein (over 10 meters) would reveal such a treasure. Funnily enough the pocket was right under the place where many of us had been sitting and having our lunch when working at this locality.
It took Gerhard only about a quarter of an hour to break through the quartz vein. Together with his friend Axel Krappinger he rescued Titanite crystals in outstanding size and quality. The biggest crystal is measuring 6cm on an edge. Sometimes Rock Crystals are the matrix for grass green Titanites.

Törlkopf - Törlspitz area, Seebach valley, Mallnitz, Spittal an der Drau District, Carinthia, Austria

Although Titanite crystals (Sphene) can be found at lots of localities in the Eastern Alps, good or excellent specimens are rather rare and are concentrated on only a few mountains. One of these is the Ankogel group in Carinthia. Alpine clefts in Amphibolite schists have produced beautiful crystals in yellow, brown, and most desirable green color which sometimes are decoratively placed on white Albite.

Moos Alp (Untere Mooshütte - Obere Mooshütte area), Riekengraben, Kolbnitz, Reißeck, Spittal an der Drau District, Carinthia, Austria

Laperwitzgraben, Kals am Großglockner, Lienz District, Tyrol, Austria

In 1968 Austria's cleft of the century containing unbelievable amounts of dark green Sphenes (Titanites) in sizes up to 8cm was discovered in Laperwitzgraben near Kals by the policeman Kurt Tscharitsch and the tailor Sepp Walder. As both were very unexperienced prospectors they were not at all aware what they had found. They carelessly threw Scheelites weighing more than 3 kg and Milarite crystals measuring 2cm on the dump. By showing off with their crystals in pubs they caused a run to the cleft that almost reminded to a gold rush. Several groups were working the cleft then, some even using dynamite. Most of the precious minerals were damaged or broken. Buckets were filled with loose Titanite crystals in very best quality but undamaged specimens with Sphenes on matrix remained an exception.

Gramul, Teischnitz valley, Kals am Großglockner, Lienz District, Tyrol, Austria

Gastacherwände, Timmelbach valley, Prägraten am Großvenediger, Lienz District, Tyrol, Austria

Käferfeld glacier - Schwarzes Hörndl area, Neukirchen am Großvenediger, Zell am See District, Salzburg, Austria

Teufelsmühle, Bramberg am Wildkogel, Zell am See District, Salzburg, Austria

Graukogel, Bramberg am Wildkogel, Zell am See District, Salzburg, Austria

Heinz Kirchtag and Andreas Steiner were on their way to the Lienzinger mountain in Hollersbach valley. They had started from the Habach valley. Near the top of Graukogel mountain they inspected some quarz veins although they did not really expect to find something nice there. But what they found were probably the best Titanites of the Alps in the most beautiful dark green color. The biggest one measures incredible 13cm.

East slope of Gamsmutter, Bramberg am Wildkogel, Zell am See District, Salzburg, Austria

Bruchgraben, Hollersbach im Pinzgau, Zell am See District, Salzburg, Austria

The Bruchgraben, a small eastern side valley of the Hollersbach valley, branches roughly opposite to the Scharnbachgraben. Clefts in rocks of the Habach formation in the upper valley yielded well crystallized specimens with very large crystals of scheelite, titanite, calcite and rock crystal.
The Titanite crystals found in Bruchgraben are in most cases of outstanding gem quality.

Senning gorge (Speibing gorge), Hollersbach im Pinzgau, Zell am See District, Salzburg, Austria

Felber valley, Mittersill, Zell am See District, Salzburg, Austria

Wag Alp, Mittersill, Zell am See District, Salzburg, Austria

In 2011 Andi Steiner discovered a great Titanite cleft on Wag Alp at a place where avalanches had exposed amphibolite rocks. To rescue the wonderful Titanites in best quality and green color he washed away the tough pressed Chlorite by using the water of a nearby brook.This careful technique had also been successfully used by his father when finding Titanite clefts.

Schiedergraben, Mittersill, Zell am See District, Salzburg, Austria

Eiskögele (north face), Ödenwinkel area, Uttendorf, Zell am See District, Salzburg, Austria

In the Eiskögele north face the Hofer brothers, Hannes and Gerhard, found the three wonderful specimens displayed above like a heavenly gift lying on a little rock platform. They were the only rest of cleft which must have fallen down on the glacier. It is not hard to imagine what kind of material there must have been ruined.

Knallkar, Bad Gastein, St. Johann im Pongau District, Salzburg, Austria

Amphibolite quarry (Schwemmhoisl quarry; Burgegg quarry), Schwemmhoisl farm, Warnblick, Deutschlandsberg, Deutschlandsberg District, Styria, Austria

In the 1970's some remarkable alpine clefts were opened in the amphibolite quarry that contained huge Rock Crystals, Albites, and Titanites measuring up to 10cm.

Belgium

Sur les Roches quarry, Bastogne, Luxembourg, Wallonia, Belgium

Brazil

Capelinha, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Alpine-type clefts. Titanites in sizes up to 16cm. The area around Capelinha is one of the world's best Titanite occurrences.

Campo do Boa mine, Capelinha, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Fanadinho (Fazenda Rubinho Pimenta claim), Capelinha, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Canada

Cardiff Uranium Mine, Cardiff Township, Highlands East Township, Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada

In veins cutting amphibolite & syenite gneiss; crystalline limestone.
The deposit was originally explored for fluorite in 1943 by Cardiff Fluorite Mines Limited: exploration for uranium was conducted by Cardiff Uranium Mines Limited from 1953 to 1955. The mineralization extends for about 3 kilometers along the contact of geniss and crystalline limestone. The development at the South Zone consists of two adits, a shaft to a depth of 83.8 meters, and trenches. The openings are on the eastern slope of a ridge overlooking Irondale River.

Clark Mine (Ball Mine; Topspar Mine), Cardiff Township, Highlands East Township, Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada

In syenite pegmatite intruding hornblende gneiss.
"The deposit was worked for fluorite by Mr. W.E Clark from 1940 to 1942; shipments totalling 27.2 t of acid-grade fluorite were made. The ore was obtained from several pits and trenches extending over a distance of 180 m along the top of a hill. In 1950 Topspar Fluorite Mines, Limited conducted exploration consisting of an open-cut (3 m by 24 m) and an adit driven 27 m from the south end of the cut on the north side of the hill. A mill was conducted on the site."

Bear Lake diggings, Monmouth Township, Highlands East Township, Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada

Millar's Mine, Monmouth Township, Highlands East Township, Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada

In calcite veins cutting graphic granite pegmatite.
Was opened around 1900 as a radioactive mineral and phosphate prospect and consists of two open-cuts, two trenches, and an adit (9 m long).

Eganville area, Bonnechere Valley, Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada

Poudrette quarry (De-Mix quarry; Demix quarry; Uni-Mix quarry; Carrière Mont Saint-Hilaire; MSH), Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada

Bear Lake, Litchfield, Pontiac RCM, Outaouais, Québec, Canada

Czech Republic

Boží Hill, Žulová, Jeseník District, Olomouc Region, Czech Republic

Abandoned quarries and diggings at contacts between Zulová massif granitoids and Ca-marbles.

Krásné, Hraběšice, Šumperk District, Olomouc Region, Czech Republic

France

Ceillac, Briançon, Hautes-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

Germany

Titanite occurrence, Hauzenberg, Passau District, Lower Bavaria, Bavaria, Germany

Laacher See Volcanic Complex, Germany

In den Dellen quarries, Mendig, Mendig, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Caspar quarry, Ettringen, Vordereifel, Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Italy

Mount Somma, Somma-Vesuvius Complex, Naples, Campania, Italy

Bellecombe, Châtillon, Aosta Valley, Italy

Miage Glacier, Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy

Punta Helbronner, Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy

Praborna Mine, Saint-Marcel, Aosta Valley, Italy

Rocca Predellara Quarry (Tosca Quarry), Varsi, Parma Province, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Monte Sassetto, Allumiere, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Lazio, Italy

Spizzicatore Hill, Allumiere, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Lazio, Italy

Montenero Quarry, Onano, Viterbo Province, Lazio, Italy

Margone, Usseglio, Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, Italy

Formazza, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy

Forno Glacier, Vallone del Vannino, Formazza, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy

Beura quarries, Beura-Cardezza, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy

Ahrntal (Valle Aurina), Puster Valley District, South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol), Italy

Wind Valley (Vento Valley), Prettau (Predoi), Puster Valley District, South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol), Italy

Pfunders Valley (Fundres Valley), Vintl (Vandoies), Puster Valley District, South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol), Italy

Monte Cirne (Gschirn), Pfunders Valley (Fundres Valley), Vintl (Vandoies), Puster Valley District, South Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol), Italy

Madagascar

Ankarafa titanite claim, Daraina Commune, Vohémar District, Sava, Madagascar

Morafeno emerald mine, Andonabe, Mananjary District, Vatovavy Fitovinany, Madagascar

Morocco

Imilchil, Imilchil Caïdat, Imilchil Cercle, Midelt Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco

Namibia

Gamsberg area, Windhoek Rural, Khomas Region, Namibia

The Gamsberg Mt. is a 2.437 m high granite peak in the Khomas Region, it's the third highest mountain of Namibia.
The area is known for Alpine-type cleft minerals. Strictly speaking, the localities are in the Gamsberg foreland (outland).
The Gamsberg Area refers to a loosely-defined area roughly 70 by 70 kilometers from east to south. The area is east of the Gamsberg and Hakos Mountains, located in the southwestern part of central Namibia.
The Gamsberg Mountain is the most important landmark in the area, but no known alpine-type fissures or minerals have been found on the actual mountain. The position of specific finds is difficult to find details on, due to the erratic distribution of the fissures as well as the fact that the whole area is subdivided into privately owned farmland.
In general, the farmers are extremely reluctant to allow anyone, including local prospectors, onto their properties. Therefore, some local miners have taken to moonlighting when the farmers are away on other business, and will not divulge any specific localities to mineral collectors for fear of reprisal.
However, collectors are seriously warned not to attempt to enter any of these farms without explicit prior consent from the farm owners.

Norway

Stokkviknakken Tunnel, Sulitjelma, Fauske, Nordland, Norway

A road tunnel along the road "Fylkesvei 830", between Finneid and Sulitjelma in the municipality of Fauske. The road is laid on the old railway tracks of the now closed Sulitjelma Railroad. More than 100 specimens of collector-quality titanite specimens were found here in 1991. Specimens from this find were often labelled just "Fauske" or "Sulitjelma".

Pakistan

Balochistan, Pakistan

Mulla Ghori, Khyber District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan

Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Arondu, Basha Valley, Shigar district, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Haramosh Mts., Roundu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Mountain range north of the Indus River between Gilgit and Skardu, hosting numerous complex granitic pegmatite fields and alpine cleft-type metamorphic deposits. Mountain range crossed the border between the Skardu and Gilgit Districts.

Tormiq Valley, Haramosh Mts., Roundu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Shigar Valley, Shigar District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Hashupa alpine-type clefts, Hashupa, Shigar Valley, Shigar District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

A village in the Shigar River Valley, between Alchuri and Shigar. Alpine cleft-type metamorphoc deposits in the area.

Tangir District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Portugal

Montijos quarry, Monte Redondo e Carreira, Leiria, Leiria, Portugal

Gabbro quarry.
In the area known as "Montijos Quarry" there were 3 distinct mining concessions
1 - "Quinta dos Montijos" concession nr 1102, operated by Pedreiras de Monte Redondo, Lda, closed on August 17, 1966.
2 - "Montijos Nr 1" concession nr 1323, operated by Domingos Pereira Amado and Others, closed on January 24, 1972.
3 - "Cabeço da Quinta" concession nr 917, operated by Sociedade de Paralelepípedos do Sul, Lda, closed on May 31, 1973.

Russia

Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia

Saranovskii Mine, Sarany, Gornozavodskii District, Perm Krai, Russia

Akhmatov mine, Magnitka, Kusinsky District, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia

Neroyka Mt, Tyumen Oblast, Russia

Dodo Mine, Saranpaul, Berezovo district, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia

Puiva Mount, Saranpaul, Berezovo district, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia

Spain

Pradollano, Monachil, Granada, Andalusia, Spain

Switzerland

Val Curnera, Tujetsch, Surselva Region, Grisons, Switzerland

Druntobel (Drun Tobel; Drun Sedrun; Krüzli valley; Kreuzli pass; Ruinas Plaunas), Sedrun, Tujetsch, Surselva Region, Grisons, Switzerland

Arena Alp, Mogno, Lavizzara, Vallemaggia, Ticino, Switzerland

Wannenhorn, Fieschertal, Goms, Valais, Switzerland

Saas-Fee, Visp, Valais, Switzerland

Tanzania

D-Block Mine, Merelani Hills, Lelatema Mountains, Simanjiro District, Manyara Region, Tanzania

D-Block Mine is a gem (Tanzanite) mine worked by only a small group of miners.

Mahenge, Morogoro Region, Tanzania

USA

Webster prospects (Sanford vesuvianite locality; Goodall Farm prospect; Webster vesuvianite prospect), Sanford, York County, Maine, USA

Professor John W. Webster of Harvard University operated this quarry for specimens and described vesuvianite from this locality in an article in American Journal of Science in 1848. It was later worked by Mr. Goodall of Sanford whose family owned a famous mill in the town and where there was once a private natural history museum.

Acushnet Quarry, Acushnet, Bristol County, Massachusetts, USA

Crushed stone quarry originally operated by the Blue Stone Quarry Co.

Boulder Batholith, Jefferson County, Montana, USA

Joppa Hill, Amherst, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA

The Joppa Hill prospects are in Amherst, close to the Amherst-Bedford line. A vesuvianite crystal from this locality was illustrated in the 2nd edition of Dana's System of Mineralogy (1844). Mineralization occurs in bedrock exposures of contact metamorphosed limestone and in a quartz vein, both in Amherst. Boulders extending across the town line into Bedford also produce specimens. This mineral list includes occurrences in both towns.

The locality was first discovered by a Dr. Spaulding of Amherst who noticed some unusual rocks in stone walls of the area. The source of these stones was discovered in a ravine on the land of Betsey Stevens. Dr. Spaulding (and a Mr. Peabody) guided geologist Charles Jackson to the locality. Jackson described the rock as being exactly like the "limestone" of Phippsburg, Maine. (Jackson, 1844)

Interstate 95 and George Washington Bridge Lower Level roadcut, Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey, USA

This locality was a massive, deep roadcut into the Palisades diabase cliffs to accomodate the interstate highways and the lower level installation of the George Washington bridge. The excavations encountered some coarsely crystallized and vuggy areas of the diabase.


Rudolf Hasler 10/02/2013