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Antsongombato gem mine, FKT Antsentsindrano, Andrembesoa Commune, Betafo District, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar

Fihadiam-baton' Antsongombato, FKT Antsentsindrano, Kaominina Andrembesoa, Distrikan' i Betafo, Faritra Vakinankaratra, Faritanin' Antananarivo, Madagasikara

Antsongombato gem mine refers to a small area where several LCT pegmatite dykes (of Danburite subtype) have been worked for gems, mostly red tourmaline and yellow rhodizite-londonite. Famous for its large (up to 7 cm) yellow crystals of rhodizite-londonite and for being the type locality of schiavinatoite. The locality is situated 4 km ESE of the small village Antsentsindrano which is situated 25 km southwest of Mahaiza (a relatively easy accessable marketplace) and south of the town Betafo in the central highland of Madagascar. The mine is located on the northern side of the Manentoakoho Mountain.
French colonists started mining here for red tourmaline in the beginning of the 20th century. And it was then abandoned in the 1930s. Later, in 1964-1965, a french colonist mined here, mostly for rhodizite specimens. In 1998 after thorough investigations in the area, the malagasy company, "Pyramide" started specimen mining here, especially for rhodizite-londonite specimens. Many good quality specimens was then recovered. The largest and best specimens of rhodizite-londonite came from one dike which measured 400 m long and 10-60 cm thick (Laurs et al 2002). In january 2001 the Pyramide company ceased their activities in the area. The area is still being worked in a much smaller scale for mineral specimens.

Mineral List

Albite
Behierite
Beryl
Columbite-(Mn)
'Columbite-(Mn)-Tantalite-(Mn) series'
Danburite
'Elbaite-Liddicoatite Series'
Fluorapatite
var: Mn-bearing Fluorapatite
Hübnerite
Lepidolite
Londonite
'Londonite-Rhodizite Series'
Microcline
Microlite Group
'Monazite'
Pollucite
Quartz
Rhodizite
Schiavinatoite (TL)
Spodumene
Tantalite-(Mn)
'Tourmaline'
'var: Rubellite'
Xenotime-(Y)
Zinnwaldite
Zircon


27 entries listed. 19 valid minerals. 1 type locality (valid mineral).

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References

- Duparc, L., Wunder, M., Sabot, R. (1910): Les minéraux des pegmatites des environs d´Antsirabe á Madagscar. Mémoires de la Société de Physique et d'Histoire Naturelle de Geneve, 36, 3, 283-407

- Lacroix, A. (1912): Sur quelques minéraux des pegmatites du Vakinankaratra (Madagascar). Bulletin de la Société française de Minéralogie 35 , 76-84

- Behier, J. (1963): Carte mineralogique de Madagascar. Archive Service Géologique Madagascar. A 1871

- Pezzotta, F. (1999): Madagaskar. Extra Lapis No. 17, 70-73

- Demartin, F. et al (2001): Schiavinatoite,(Nb,Ta)BO4, the Nb analogue of behierite. European Journal of Mineralogy 13, 159-165

- Simmons, W. B; Pezzotta, F; Falster, A. U & Webber, K. L.(2001): Londonite, a new mineral species: The Cs-dominant analogue of Rhodizite from the Antandrokomby granitic pegmatite, Madagascar. Can. Min., 39, 747-755

- Laurs, B. M.; Pezzotta, F.; Simmons, W.; Falster, A. U & Muhlmeister, S. (2002): Rhodizite-londonite from the Antsongombato pegmatite, Central Madagascar. Gems & Mineralogy. 38 (4), 326-339

- Pezzotta, F.; Diella, V. & Demartin, F. (2003): Londonit aus Madagaskar- eine neue Mineralart. Lapis 35 (2), 35-38

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Copyright © Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau 1993-2012. Site Map. Locality, mineral & photograph data are the copyright of the individuals who submitted them. Further information contact the Site hosted & developed by Jolyon Ralph. Mindat.org is an online information resource dedicated to providing free mineralogical information to all. Mindat relies on the contributions of hundreds of members and supporters. Mindat does not offer minerals for sale. If you would like to add information to improve the quality of our database, then click here to register.
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