Mindat Mineralogy Messageboard - Best Minerals A

Re: Andalusite

Olav Revheim — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:29:28 +0000

Thanks Rob :)-D

Olav

Re: Andalusite

Rob Woodside — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:16:48 +0000

Great work Olav!!! Thanks so much!!!

Re: Andalusite

Rock Currier — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:33:52 +0000

The value of the thing depends on how big a gemstone it would cut, its color and how free from flaws it is. My estimate of its value was a guess at the retail value of the stone after it was cut. But if you leave it in its uncut state, the dream is still alive.

Re: Andalusite

Richard Gunter — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:19:14 +0000

Thank you Olav. I will see what I can find for this Andalusite sample.

Richard Gunter

Re: Andalusite

Olav Revheim — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:00:41 +0000

Richard,

This article may give some relevant information.

Olav

Re: Andalusite

Olav Revheim — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:34:08 +0000

Vik,

I don't know about value of these andalusite, that was Rock's estimate. Hope he chimes in on this.

Olav

Re: Andalusite

Olav Revheim — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:33:16 +0000

Rock,

I agree with you that the photo looks better when you have photoshopped it a bit. I am a bit reluctant to do such changes myself as I am no great photographer and also I think we should be cautious in changing other peoples work without consent.

Olav

Re: Andalusite

Vik Vanrusselt — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:27:50 +0000

Hi all,

thanks for including my Viridine pebble from 'Bahia'.

"The small gem crystal pictured here was simply labeled Bahia but it is probably from the Chapada Diamantina area."

--> Thanks for clearing that up for me! I'll change the locality of my image to this :-)

"This little crystal would easily cost you $500 to $1000 if you are lucky."

--> I got it for €5 from Jaroslav Hyrsl :-) Are you serious about the above statement, it being worth up to $1000?

Vik

Re: Andalusite

Richard Gunter — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:46:53 +0000

Hi:

This is a 3 cm long Andalusite var Chiastolite that was labeled "Baja, Mexico". It was with several other similar sized crystals within a basket of red dirt in a B.C. rock shop in the early 1980's. I have not posted it to Mindat.org as I am searching for a better locality. Does any one recognize this?

Thanks,

Richard Gunter

Re: Andalusite

Rock Currier — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:32:05 +0000

Olaf,
Excellent work. Olaf, do you ever increase the dynamic range of the images to make them look better? For example the first picture of andalusite.

[attachment 45465 AndalusiteAustralia1.jpg]

Does this look better? I used Photoshop and lighted up the shadows a little. What do you think?

Re: Andalusite

Ferdinando Giovine — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:47:37 +0000

:)-D Olav

Re: Andalusite

Olav Revheim — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:09:25 +0000

Ferdinando,

I have added the locality as you requested

Uwe,

Unfortunately, I do not have the required knowledge on German administrative districts to do these changes.

Erik,

Thanks for your information, it's added to the article. I have not yet addressed the Indian locality.

Thank you all for your contribution

:)-D

Olav

Re: Andalusite

Erik Vercammen — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 19:54:17 +0000

The text about the andalusite of India mentions staurolite and kyanite, but no andalusite?

Re: Andalusite

Erik Vercammen — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 19:50:43 +0000

More information abot the andalusite form France, Brittany, Morbihan, Pontivy, Sainte Brigitte, Les salles de Rohan

The matrix is a dark schist from the ordovicium ('schiste d'Angers') that also contains fossils: the trilobite Calymene Tristane, Trinucleus, Orthis.... The andalusite formed under the influence of a granitic intrusion, the granite of Rostrenen (linked to the Hercynian orogenesis).

The rocks are cribbled with andalusite crystals: you can see them in the walls of a nearby abbey, built with the local stone. The andalusite, variety chiastolite, is so abundant and caracteristic that the lords of Rohan, who had their castle there, have 9 crystals of chiastolite in their shield, see: [www.heraldique-europeenne.org]

The Franch use the term 'macle' ('twin') for 'chiastolite.I suppose that was becuase they thought the cross in it to be a result of twinning.

Re: Andalusite

Ferdinando Giovine — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 06:37:29 +0000

?? is it possible, in the time, add
Marro river, Taurianova, Aspromonte massif, Reggio Calabria province, Italy
Pegmatite and aplite erratics
minerals:
Andalusite (analyzed -diffrattogramma delle polveri- in Messina University by Prof Maurizio Triscari)
Quartz
Muscovite (visual - not analyzed)
Schorl (visual - not analyzed)
k feldspat

Thanks
Ferdinando

Re: Andalusite

Uwe Ludwig — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:14:23 +0000

"Elzing quarry" or "Quarry Elzing" is not the problem. However, this quarry is not located at Chemnitz but at Limbach-Oberfrohna.

Uwe Ludwig

Re: Andalusite

JM Trillaud — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:48:02 +0000

A box of Chiastolites, maximum side dimensions of crystals are up to 4cm.
Location:
Pinodieta pass, Ezpeleta, Pays-Basque, Pyrenees-Atlantique, France
Found as loose crystals in the fields.

Re: Andalusite

Uwe Kolitsch — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:08:01 +0000

I fully agree with Alfredo.

Re: Andalusite

Alfredo Petrov — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:51:50 +0000

"Steinbruch Elzing" has to be translated as "Elzing quarry" in english, not "Quarry Elzing".

Re: Andalusite

Uwe Ludwig — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:52:13 +0000

Hi Olav,

I uploaded the picture to database. I edited the location because I found not the location Elzing quarry. However, at the picture I found "Elzing quarry, Elzing, Chemnitz, Germany" this is nonsense. The description of the location should be: "Quarry Elzing, Limbach Oberfrona, Saxonia, Germany".

How can I correct that?

Rgds.
Uwe

Re: Andalusite

Olav Revheim — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:44:02 +0000

Ferdinando,

Thank you very much! I hope that you will be allowed to take photos of these specimens

:-)

Olav

Re: Andalusite

Olav Revheim — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:42:55 +0000

Uwe,

Thanks, It is good to have some German input, as there are several classic andalusite localities in Germany, but they are poorly represented on Mindat.

Please upload your photo to the database, as I am not able to use it when it is only attached to a message.

:-)

Olav

Re: Andalusite

Ferdinando Giovine — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:58:23 +0000

Hi Olav,
All 2 occorrences are in pegmatites.
I seed, in Messina University, nodules of 15 cm ca from Due Fontane. The paragenesis in this locality is quartz, k feldspat, margarite and apatite (with high fluorescence in yellow - probably OH-Apatite)
The pegmatite erratics from Marro river are rare (prevail the aplites).. Probably origin is Tripitò Mountain, one of top of Aspromonte Massif.
The paragenesis is quartz, schorl, k feldspat and muscovite. The crystals of andalusite are red-brown and of max size 3/4 cm.
I will ask the permission to take photos at Messina University of andalusites in collection.
Ferdinando

Re: Andalusite

Uwe Ludwig — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:14:08 +0000

Just I noted that there is no Andalusite of Germany. Therefore I would like to post a picture of an Andalusite of Saxony. The location is the quarry "Elzing" near Limbach-Oberfrona. The Andalusite there is part of a pegmatite vein accompanied with muskovite, schorl and quartz and orthoklase. The size of the specimen is 10 x 10 cm.

Uwe Ludwig

Re: Andalusite

Olav Revheim — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 06:57:21 +0000

Erik, Harjo

Thanks.

:-)

Olav

Re: Andalusite

Olav Revheim — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 06:56:21 +0000

Ferdinando,

Thank you for telling me about this occurrence in the Aspromonte massif. Unfortunately, I do not have access to the work you use as reference. I would appreciate if you can provide more information on the locality, such as how large the crystals, get, associated minerals etc. I would also appreciate if you could upload a photo of a good specimen from there to the database.

Olav

Re: Andalusite

Harjo Neutkens — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:02:09 +0000


© Harjo

;-)

Re: Andalusite

Erik Vercammen — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:57:58 +0000

In Belgium, we have green andalusite with Mn in it (variety 'viridine'), but also the species kanonaite that forms a series with andalusite (Al < 0,5 apfu in one of the sites.)

Re: Andalusite

Ferdinando Giovine — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:42:35 +0000

Good crystals of andalusite are from Aspromonte massif ( Due Fontane, San Giorgio Morgeto, Reggio Calabria Province, Calabria, Italy: Carlino, P. (1972): L'andalusite di S. Giorgio Morgeto (Reggio Calabria). Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrografia, Rendiconti, 28, 413-421 and from Marro river in erratics, Taurianova, Reggio Calabria province, Calabria, Italy: Analyzed in Messina University by Prof. Maurizio Triscari. These samples are from Alpine orogenesis of Aspromonte Mountain and are quite similar at samples from Alpine arc.

Re: Andalusite

Rock Currier — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:40:40 +0000

Olav,
I don't mind at all. Let me know when you think you have the first draft complete, and we will get my name off the article and change it to yours.

Rock