Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil

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(Rio Grande do Sul, Sul, Brasil)

Rio Grande to Sul is best known to collectors, mineralogists and museum curators for the wonderful specimens of agate and amethyst that come from the amygdaloidal cavities in the huge basalt formation know as the Parana basalts. The mining of amethyst crystals are currently centered mostly around the little town of Ametista do Sul although much amethyst and agate is and has been mined from localities up to and further than 100 km away. Each year two to four thousand tons of agate and amethyst is exported from this region to all parts of the world. In most cases it is not possible to look at a cluster of amethyst crystals or a particular agate slab and know with certainty which of these localities it came from because they often produce similar material. However, some amethyst and agate specimens are distinctive enough that it is possible to place them as being from a particular area like the Umbu agates from the area around Salto do Jaquai or the amethyst "flowers" and calcite crystal specimen from the area around Frederico Westphalen. Rock Currier (2009)

References:
- Balzer, R. (2003): Rio Grande do Sul, Brasilien - Landschaften - Menschen - edle Steine. Wenzel Verlag, Marburg, 235 pp. (in German)

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

Mineral List:

Analcime

[Al

] · 2H

Reference:

[]

Incopel quarry, Estância Velha, Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil
© Martins da Pedra

Anhydrite

CaSO

Reference:

[Martins da Pedra collection]

Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil
© Lee Johnson

'Apophyllite'

Reference:

[]

Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil
© Charles Creekmur

Bornite

FeS

Reference:

[Revista Brasileira de Geociências(1990) 20(l-4):55-67, ]

Calcite

CaCO

Reference:

[No reference listed]

Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil
© Kristalle and Crys

Cavansite

Ca(VO)Si

·4H

Reference:

[Lapis 29(9), 41-42 (2004)]

Celadonite

K(Mg,Fe

)(Fe

,Al)[(OH)

|Si

]

Colour:	Greenish
Reference:	[P Haas collection]

'Chabazite'

Reference:

[]

'Chabazite
var: Phacolite'

Reference:

[Frank, H. (2008): Lapis 33 (5), 45. ]

Chabazite-Ca

(Ca,K

,Na

)

[Al

]

· 12H

Reference:

[Frank, H. (2008): Lapis 33 (5), 45. ]

'Chalcedony'

Reference:

[]

Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil
© Russell G. Rizzo

'Chalcedony
var: Agate'

SiO

Reference:

[Mineralogical Record (2009) 40:121-125]

Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil
© Don Volkman 12/07

'Chalcedony
var: Onyx'

SiO

Reference:

[]

Chalcocite

Reference:

[Revista Brasileira de Geociências(1990) 20(l-4):55-67, ]

Chalcopyrite

CuFeS

Reference:

[No reference listed]

Copper

Reference:

[Revista Brasileira de Geociências(1990) 20(l-4):55-67, ]

Iraí, Alto Uruguai region, Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil
© Rob Lavinsky

Epistilbite

CaAl

·5H

Reference:

[Lapis 29(9), 41-42 (2004)]

Ribas quarry, Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil
© Marek Patúš

Galena

PbS

Reference:

[]

Goethite

α-Fe

O(OH)

Reference:

[Mineralogical Record (2009) 40:121-125]

Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil
© Chinellato Matteo

Gypsum

Ca[SO

] · 2H

Reference:

[Lapis 29(9), 41-42 (2004)]

Gypsum
var: Selenite

Reference:

[]

Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil
© Rob Lavinsky

Hematite

Reference:

[Revista Brasileira de Geociências(1990) 20(l-4):55-67, ]

'Heulandite'

Reference:

[]

Veranópolis, Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil
© Brhounds

Laumontite

CaAl

·4H

Reference:

[]

Veranópolis, Rio Grande do Sul, South Region, Brazil
© Brhounds

Lepidocrocite ?

γ-Fe

O(OH)

Reference:

[Mineralogical Record (2009) 40:121-125]

'Lévyne'

Reference:

[Lapis 29(9), 41-42 (2004)]

Magnetite

Reference:

[]

Malachite

[(OH)

|CO

]

Reference:

[Revista Brasileira de Geociências(1990) 20(l-4):55-67, ]

Nekoite

·7H

Habit:	Tufts of prismatic crystals
Description:	Occurs in cavities in basaltic rocks.
Reference:	[Vezzalini, G. (1979) Secondo ritrovamento della nekoite. Periodico di Mineralogia: 48: 5-13.]

Opal
var: Fire Opal

Reference:

[www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/fire.html ]

Pyrite

FeS

Reference:

[Revista Brasileira de Geociências(1990) 20(l-4):55-67, ]

Quartz

SiO

Reference:

[]

Quartz
var: Amethyst

SiO

Reference:

[Rocks & Min.:5:131.]

Quartz
var: Citrine

Reference:

[]

Scolecite

Ca[Al

] · 3H

Reference:

[]

Siderite ?

FeCO

Reference:

[Karl Volkman Collection]

Sphalerite

(Zn,Fe

Reference:

[]

Stellerite

Ca[Al

] · 7H

Reference:

[]

'Stilbite'

Reference:

[]

39 entries listed. 26 valid minerals.

Localities in this Region:


Brazil
South Region Rio Grande do Sul Alto Uruguai region
Alpestre
Ametista do Sul
Frederico Westphalen
Iraí
Planalto
Santa Lúcia
Rodeio Bonito
Bom Princípio
Brasília-Guaíba quarry
Boqueirão do Leão
Caçapava do Sul Camaquã Mine
Cambará do Sul Tainhas Sultepa quarry
Campos Borges
Carazinho (Carasinho)
Carlos Barbosa Prefeitura quarry
Caxias do Sul
Erechim (Erichim)
Estância Velha Incopel quarry
Fountoura Xavier Três Pinheiros Oco (Ocho) geode deposits
Frederico Westphalen
Gaúcha range
Lagoão
Lajeado (Lageado)
Lavras do Sul
Linha Getulio Vargas
Morro Reuter Municipal Quarry
Nonoai (Nonohay)
Novo Hamburgo Ribas quarry
Palmeira das Missões (Palmeiras)
Passo Fundo Bela Vista (Bella Vista)
Salto do Jacuí
Santa Cruz do Sul Brita Ouro Preto quarry
Santa Maria
São Gabriel
Veranópolis
Das Antas Tunnel

The above list contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database!

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