Sapphirine
Sapphirine
Sapphirine

Sapphirine

€240,00
SKU: A617
Nawatara, Amboasary Sud District, Anosy, Madagascar
The world's best sapphirine crystals are currently mined in the south of Madagascar. These black crystals are characterized by sharp edges and attractively structured faces. They are also embedded in the matrix in white anorthosite, which forms an attractive contrast to the crystals and the dark matrix of biotite, anorthosite and sillimanite. First presented in Tucson in 2024, these pieces often command four-digit prices on the market. In Madagascar, too, the asking prices are very high because of this. We managed to purchase a good lot at reasonable prices. This rather large sapphirine is three-quarters embedded in a matrix with a pronounced anorthosite zone.
6.4 x 5.7 x 3.2 cm
174.6 g

Sapphirine is a magnesium-aluminium silicate and is therefore not related to sapphire/corundum. The name was chosen in 1790 by the discoverer of the mineral because of its blue color and hexagonal crystals. Sapphirine is quite hard, brittle (Mohs=7.5) and has a monoclinic crystal structure. In addition to blue tones, greenish or gray/black color nuances also occur.