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Cruzeiro mine, São José da Safira, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil
A gemstone and specimen mine in pegmatites.
Safira pegmatite district, Eastern Brazilian pegmatite province.
Note on the mineral list: for "coeruleolactite" see references and information given for Planerite-Turquoise Series.
This is one of the worlds most important gem and specimen mines. It was mined from about 1915, firstly for mica (muscovite), and was a major producer during WWII. Since then it has been mostly mined on a small scale for tourmaline and other minerals.
There are at least five distinct pegmatites worked in the mine. They are hosted by Precambrian quartzites, mica schists and amphibolites. The "amphibolites" are probably altered ultramafics, with olivine, pyroxene and garnet (pyrope).
The pegmatites are classically zoned granite pegmatites and from the border to core the zones are typically:
1. A thin mica rich selvage
2. The main border zone of granitic rock
3. The outer intermediate zone with muscovite rich granite
4. The inner intermediate zone, mostly K-feldspar
5. The central zone, of most I interest mineralogically, with coarse grained quartz and K-feldspar, and vughs with albite, tourmaline and spodumene
6. A quartz core
Mineral List
Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities36 entries listed. 19 valid minerals. 1 type locality (valid mineral). 1 erroneous literature entry.
Localities in this Region
Brazil
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References
- Rocks & Min.: 63:49 & 53.
- Cassedanne, J.P & J.O. (1980): Famous mineral localities: The Cruzeiro mine, past and present. Mineralogical Record 11: 363-367 + 370.
- Cassedanne, J.P & J.O. (1980): Famous mineral localities: The Cruzeiro mine, past and present. Mineralogical Record 11: 363-367 + 370.
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