Quartz, Madagascar

Can you help make this a better article? What good localities have we missed? Can you supply pictures of better specimens than those we show here? Can you give us more and better information about the specimens from these localities? Can you supply better geological or historical information on these localities?


Quartz
SiO₂ trigonal

Here will go a good picture of a quartz specimen from Madagascar and general remarks about the quartz from this country.


Here are some url's to some of the better quartz specimens here on mindat that can be considered for inclusion in the article. These, in mosc cases are just for temporairy use untill we can get images of the much better specimens that are almost certainly out there. We should also consider that there are probably localities out there with fine specimens that are not even mentioned on mindat. Also in some instances there are sometimes pictures on mindat, of specimens from a locality, but they were so ratty that I did not include them here, but there may also be relly good specimens from there that we should talk about in this article.




Quartz
Madagascar
Antany, Ambaribe, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]


Vakinankaratra Region (Betafo - Antsirabé region), Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]

Mahaiza, Mahaiza Commune, Betafo Department, Vakinankaratra Region (Betafo - Antsirabé region), Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]

Tsaramanga (Tongafeni; Itongafeno) pegmatite, Mahaiza Commune, Betafo Department, Vakinankaratra Region (Betafo - Antsirabé region), Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Sahatany Pegmatite Field (Mt Bity (Ibity) area), Vakinankaratra Region (Betafo - Antsirabé region), Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Ambilobe Department, Diana (Northern) Region, Antsiranana Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]


Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]


Ambatofinandrahana Department, Amoron'i Mania Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Amborompotsy, Ambatofinandrahana Department, Amoron'i Mania Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Itremo massif, Ambatofinandrahana Department, Amoron'i Mania Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]


Antsakoanimanta deposit, Mangatabohangy Commune (Mangatobangy), Ambatofinandrahana Department, Amoron'i Mania Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Ambalavao Departement, Matsiatra Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]

Ankaroka, Mahajanga (Majunga) Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Marovato, Ambolobozo, Analalava Department, Sofia Region, Mahajanga (Majunga) Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]

Toamasina (Tamatave) Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Andilamena, Andilamena Department, Alaotra-Mangoro Region, Toamasina (Tamatave) Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Lac Alaotra (Lake Alaotra), Alaotra-Mangoro Region, Toamasina (Tamatave) Province, Madagascar
[www.mindat.org]
[www.mindat.org]

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2009 01:46AM by Rock Currier.

Rock,

Could somebody make corrections in my English?

Ambatofinandrahana Department, Amoron'i Mania Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
Itremo massif, Ambatofinandrahana Department, Amoron'i Mania Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar

In Ambatofinandrahana there is number of quartz localities (thousands of quartz veins) but majority of specimens in this area are mined vicinity of Itremo village. This big village is situated just before entering to scattered Itremo Massive - metamorphoised sedimentary rocks, which today are quartzite's and marbles. In this massive there is thousands of quartz veins (hydrotermal low temperature) with very variate quartz crystals. In some veins there is simple rock crystal (crystals up to 70 cm), in others there are so called pineapple quartz. Some veins contain quartz with bubbles, hollandite or fushite inclusions.
Peoples from Itremo make irregular mining in their neighbourhood (around 15 km). Other areas of Itremo Massive are almost completely unexplored.
Majority of quartz from Madagascar (even if not labelled like this) is from Itremo massive.

Other localities around Ambatofinandrahana are much less important in quantities, but sometimes yield very interesting specimens. Because of very low density of villages it is very difficult to verify majority of finds.

Some well known mines are in vicinity of Anjomanankona - locals dig there quartz with colourful phantoms (chlorites).

In Ambatofinandrahana area there is also number of pegmatites but they do not yield collectors quality quartz specimens.



This one [www.mindat.org] is surely not from Itremo, - I think Sidi Rahal, Morocco.

I will try some field photos from this area and some more info soon.
In my avatar there is quartz from Ambatofiandrahana area.

Tom

-------------------------------------
"Spirifer" Geological Society

Tomasz,
Wow!! I just created the Madagascar thing a little while ago. You must have been working like a madman. That is really good stuff. Just the kind of things we will love to include here. When I get around to working on it, I am sure I will have more questions. I was in Madagascar only once and saw some stuff but know that I know very little about the place. Can you give me your background and how you know such good stuff? Sure, we will be happy to help with the English if you want to contribute stuff. I can't do it now, but eventually someone will get around to it.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Rock,
I am working there (looking for specimens + scientific work), and I really love this island!
I will try to ad more info soon about some Malagasy localities.

Tom

-------------------------------------
"Spirifer" Geological Society

It's my opinion this crystal is from the Brandberg/Goboboseb area in Namibia & not Madagascar, I did email the
contributor but had no response. I've also listed this in the Mistakes forum, thought I'd let you know here as well.


Itremo massif, Ambatofinandrahana Department, Amoron'i Mania Region, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar.
The first link & has now been changed to its correct locality in Namibia & looks out of place in this article.

[www.mindat.org]





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2009 12:06PM by Debbie Woolf.

Debbie,
Thanks for the heads up. I have deleted it from the list of possible images. It was another of Joe's pictures. He is/was frequently not all that careful about his localities, but he did take good pictures. I don't know how long it will be before some brave individual takes up the task of trying to write the Quartz, Madagascar article. I am just now preparing to start the Quartz, USA article and it kind of scares me to even start on it. I have no idea of how long it might take to finish that and I think that when that is done I will probably be sick and tired of working on quartz for a while.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.