St John's Island (Zagbargad; Zabargad; Zebirget; Seberged; Topazios), Red Sea, Egypt

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Quaternary volcanic island, 3 x 2 km in size, which is an ancient (1300 BC) locality of gem peridote. The Greek name of the island, Topazios, is believed to have given name to topaz.
Largest of a group of islands in Foul Bay; located 46 km southeast of Ras Banas.

Note: The island is part of the Elba National Park.

Presence of spinel-lherzolites with anhydrous Al-diopside pyroxenites and hydrous Cr-diopside pyroxenites layers.
In the 19th century, geologists re-explored old mines and found interesting nickel deposits, which were later mined in the Nasser era around 1960.

References

- Wilson, W. (1976): Famous Mineral Localities: Saint John's Island, Egypt. Mineralogical Record 7 (6): 310-314.
- Gübelin, E. (1980): 'Seberged, die Peridot-Insel im Roten Meer'. Lapis, xx (xx), 5-11.
- KURAT, G., H. PALME, A. EMBEY-ISZTIN, J. TOURET, T. NTAFLOS, B. SPETTEL, F. BRANDSTÄTTER, G. DREIBUS, and M. PRINZ (1993) Petrology and geochemistry of peridotites and associated vein rocks of Zabargad Island, Red Sea, Egypt.- Mineral. Petrol. 48, 309-341.

- http://www.geoberg.de/text/geology/08031601.php [Link dead. Aug 2011]
- http://giantcrystals.strahlen.org/africa/seberged.htm

Mineral List

Actinolite 'Albite-Anorthite Series' 'Apatite' Brochantite ? 'Clinopyroxene Subgroup' Davyne

Forsterite Hercynite var: Picotite Ilmenite Kaersutite Langite Lizardite

Magnesiohornblende Magnesite Magnetite var: Titaniferous Magnetite 'Olivine var: Peridot' 'Orthopyroxene Subgroup' Pargasite

Phlogopite Spinel Tremolite

21 entries listed. 14 valid minerals.