Sapphirine crystal of considerable size and well defined, with growths that show attractive reflections on their surfaces. It shows a clear differentiation from the matrix, formed by Phlogopite, which enhances its presence and aesthetics. A specimen of great quality for the species, superior in definition and appearance to those previously known.
It comes from an imprecise locality located somewhere within Vangaindrano District, an administrative division of Atsimo-Atsinanana Region, in southeastern Madagascar. In the absence of a more precise location, the district is used as the general geographical reference. This area is known for various mineralogical finds, although many localities remain poorly documented or unnamed.
From a geological point of view, the region belongs to the Precambrian crystalline basement of Madagascar, dominated by high-grade metamorphic rocks such as gneisses and granulites. Sapphirine typically occurs in high-temperature and high-pressure assemblages, associated with granulite-facies metamorphic conditions, often in paragenesis with Mg- and Al-rich minerals.
Vangaindrano pegmatites, Vangaindrano District, Atsimo-Atsinanana Region Madagascar (2025)
Specimen size: 8.3 × 7.2 × 4.2 cm = 3.27” × 2.83” × 1.65”
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