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Andranondambo sapphire deposits, Maromby, Amboasary Sud District, Anosy, Madagascari
Regional Level Types
Andranondambo sapphire depositsGroup of Deposits
MarombyCommune
Amboasary Sud DistrictDistrict
AnosyRegion
MadagascarCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
24° 25' 0'' South , 46° 34' 59'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Group of Deposits
Köppen climate type:
Mindat Locality ID:
29809
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:29809:7
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Other Languages:
Malagasy:
Fitandrahana safira any Andranondambo, Kaominin'i Maromby, Distrikan' Amboasary Atsimo, Faritr' Anosy, Madagasikara


Gem sapphires were rediscovered in 1991 close to the small village of Andranondambo. Earlier workings for phlogopite and thorianite already existed close to the village. The discovery caused a huge sapphire fever, and the village housed at times (1993-1997) nearly 100.000 people. The Andranondambo sapphire deposits cover an area about 3 km long and 0.5-1 km wide. Local miners have dug out a large number of small holes. They are often visible as 2-3m narrow sinkholes in the ground with underground shafts, some as deep as 20-30 m.
Most of the claims and diggings are now more or less abandoned (2009)
The sapphires are found in high-grade granulites in metamorphic rocks belonging to the Proterozoic Tranomaro group. They are formed in Th-U skarns belonging to the Pan-African granulitic formations.

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Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List

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

21 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded


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

Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ 'Amphibole Supergroup'
Formula: AB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
ⓘ Anorthite
Formula: Ca(Al2Si2O8)
Description: As common mineral in the skarn but also as colorless transparent 0,5 mm grains or as whitish crystals as inclusions or filling fissures in sapphires. The plagioclase inclusions were showed to be of an anorthite composition (Schwartz and Petsch 1996)
ⓘ Baddeleyite
Formula: ZrO2
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Corundum
Formula: Al2O3
ⓘ Corundum var. Ruby
Formula: Al2O3
ⓘ Corundum var. Sapphire
Formula: Al2O3
ⓘ Diaspore
Formula: AlO(OH)
ⓘ Diopside
Formula: CaMgSi2O6
Description: De Grave et al (2002) studied a dark pyroxene crystals found in a calcite vein cutting across marbles and skarns.. It corresponded to a Fe- and Ti-bearing aluminian diopside.
ⓘ Dolomite
Formula: CaMg(CO3)2
ⓘ 'Feldspar Group'
ⓘ Fluorapatite
Formula: Ca5(PO4)3F
ⓘ Fluorite
Formula: CaF2
ⓘ Fluorophlogopite
Formula: KMg3(Si3Al)O10F2
ⓘ Forsterite
Formula: Mg2(SiO4)
ⓘ Hedenbergite
Formula: CaFe2+Si2O6
Colour: greenish brown
Description: As grains as inclusions in sapphire
ⓘ Hibonite
Formula: CaAl12O19
ⓘ 'K Feldspar'
ⓘ Phlogopite
Formula: KMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘ 'Pyroxene Group'
Formula: ADSi2O6
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Quartz var. Chalcedony ?
Formula: SiO2
Description: Probably mislabelled specimen
ⓘ Rutile
Formula: TiO2
Description: As microscopic inclusions in sapphire as oriented needlelike crystals
ⓘ 'Scapolite'
ⓘ Spinel
Formula: MgAl2O4
ⓘ 'Spinel Subgroup'
Formula: A2+D3+2O4
ⓘ Titanite
Formula: CaTi(SiO4)O
ⓘ Wollastonite
Formula: Ca3(Si3O9)
ⓘ Zircon
Formula: Zr(SiO4)
ⓘ Zirconolite
Formula: CaZrTi2O7

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 3 - Halides
ⓘFluorite3.AB.25CaF2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘSpinel4.BB.05MgAl2O4
ⓘCorundum4.CB.05Al2O3
ⓘvar. Ruby4.CB.05Al2O3
ⓘvar. Sapphire4.CB.05Al2O3
ⓘHibonite4.CC.45CaAl12O19
ⓘQuartz
var. Chalcedony ?
4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘ4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘRutile4.DB.05TiO2
ⓘBaddeleyite4.DE.35ZrO2
ⓘZirconolite4.DH.30CaZrTi2O7
ⓘDiaspore4.FD.10AlO(OH)
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
ⓘDolomite5.AB.10CaMg(CO3)2
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
ⓘFluorapatite8.BN.05Ca5(PO4)3F
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘForsterite9.AC.05Mg2(SiO4)
ⓘZircon9.AD.30Zr(SiO4)
ⓘTitanite9.AG.15CaTi(SiO4)O
ⓘDiopside9.DA.15CaMgSi2O6
ⓘHedenbergite9.DA.15CaFe2+Si2O6
ⓘWollastonite9.DG.05Ca3(Si3O9)
ⓘPhlogopite9.EC.20KMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘFluorophlogopite9.EC.20KMg3(Si3Al)O10F2
ⓘAnorthite9.FA.35Ca(Al2Si2O8)
Unclassified
ⓘ'Amphibole Supergroup'-AB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
ⓘ'Feldspar Group'-
ⓘ'Scapolite'-
ⓘ'K Feldspar'-
ⓘ'Pyroxene Group'-ADSi2O6
ⓘ'Spinel Subgroup'-A2+D3+2O4

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
Hⓘ DiasporeAlO(OH)
Hⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
CCarbon
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Cⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
OOxygen
Oⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
Oⓘ AnorthiteCa(Al2Si2O8)
Oⓘ BaddeleyiteZrO2
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ Quartz var. ChalcedonySiO2
Oⓘ CorundumAl2O3
Oⓘ DiasporeAlO(OH)
Oⓘ DiopsideCaMgSi2O6
Oⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Oⓘ FluorapatiteCa5(PO4)3F
Oⓘ ForsteriteMg2(SiO4)
Oⓘ HedenbergiteCaFe2+Si2O6
Oⓘ HiboniteCaAl12O19
Oⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ Corundum var. RubyAl2O3
Oⓘ RutileTiO2
Oⓘ Corundum var. SapphireAl2O3
Oⓘ SpinelMgAl2O4
Oⓘ TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O
Oⓘ WollastoniteCa3(Si3O9)
Oⓘ ZirconZr(SiO4)
Oⓘ ZirconoliteCaZrTi2O7
Oⓘ Pyroxene GroupADSi2O6
Oⓘ FluorophlogopiteKMg3(Si3Al)O10F2
Oⓘ Spinel SubgroupA2+D23+O4
FFluorine
Fⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
Fⓘ FluorapatiteCa5(PO4)3F
Fⓘ FluoriteCaF2
Fⓘ FluorophlogopiteKMg3(Si3Al)O10F2
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ DiopsideCaMgSi2O6
Mgⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Mgⓘ ForsteriteMg2(SiO4)
Mgⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Mgⓘ SpinelMgAl2O4
Mgⓘ FluorophlogopiteKMg3(Si3Al)O10F2
AlAluminium
Alⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
Alⓘ AnorthiteCa(Al2Si2O8)
Alⓘ CorundumAl2O3
Alⓘ DiasporeAlO(OH)
Alⓘ HiboniteCaAl12O19
Alⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Alⓘ Corundum var. RubyAl2O3
Alⓘ Corundum var. SapphireAl2O3
Alⓘ SpinelMgAl2O4
Alⓘ FluorophlogopiteKMg3(Si3Al)O10F2
SiSilicon
Siⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
Siⓘ AnorthiteCa(Al2Si2O8)
Siⓘ Quartz var. ChalcedonySiO2
Siⓘ DiopsideCaMgSi2O6
Siⓘ ForsteriteMg2(SiO4)
Siⓘ HedenbergiteCaFe2+Si2O6
Siⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O
Siⓘ WollastoniteCa3(Si3O9)
Siⓘ ZirconZr(SiO4)
Siⓘ Pyroxene GroupADSi2O6
Siⓘ FluorophlogopiteKMg3(Si3Al)O10F2
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ FluorapatiteCa5(PO4)3F
ClChlorine
Clⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
KPotassium
Kⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Kⓘ FluorophlogopiteKMg3(Si3Al)O10F2
CaCalcium
Caⓘ AnorthiteCa(Al2Si2O8)
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Caⓘ DiopsideCaMgSi2O6
Caⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Caⓘ FluorapatiteCa5(PO4)3F
Caⓘ FluoriteCaF2
Caⓘ HedenbergiteCaFe2+Si2O6
Caⓘ HiboniteCaAl12O19
Caⓘ TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O
Caⓘ WollastoniteCa3(Si3O9)
Caⓘ ZirconoliteCaZrTi2O7
TiTitanium
Tiⓘ Amphibole SupergroupAB2C5((Si,Al,Ti)8O22)(OH,F,Cl,O)2
Tiⓘ RutileTiO2
Tiⓘ TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O
Tiⓘ ZirconoliteCaZrTi2O7
FeIron
Feⓘ HedenbergiteCaFe2+Si2O6
ZrZirconium
Zrⓘ BaddeleyiteZrO2
Zrⓘ ZirconZr(SiO4)
Zrⓘ ZirconoliteCaZrTi2O7

Localities in this Region

  • Anosy
    • Amboasary Sud District
      • Maromby
        • Andranondambo sapphire deposits

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

AfricaContinent
African Plate
Madagascar
Somali PlateTectonic Plate

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