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Kamakanga Mine, Kafubu emerald mining district, Lufwanyama District, Copperbelt Province, Zambiai
Regional Level Types
Kamakanga MineMine
Kafubu emerald mining districtMining District
Lufwanyama DistrictDistrict
Copperbelt ProvinceProvince
ZambiaCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
13° 7' 2'' South , 28° 3' 59'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
-13.11750,28.06639
GRN:
S09E20
Type:
Mine
Köppen climate type:
Cwa : Monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Kalulushi66,575 (2012)30.8km
Luanshya113,365 (2012)38.0km
Kitwe400,914 (2012)38.5km
Mpongwe8,997 (2018)44.6km
Chambishi11,073 (2011)53.9km
Mindat Locality ID:
31200
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:31200:5
GUID (UUID V4):
0


Gem mining in pegmatite.

During the late Pan-African orogeny (c. 530 Ma), beryllium -bearing pegmatites and hydrothermal veins intruded various crustal units. The emerald mineralisation is formed by the metasomatic alteration of the metabasites containing Cr by fluids containing Be. In short, the emeralds in the Kamakanga deposit are formed through the interaction of pegmatites with ultramafic country rocks. The emeralds with economic value are almost completely limited to the phlogopite reaction zones (approximately 0.5–3 m wide) between quartz-tourmaline veins and the metabasites.

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Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.


Mineral List


11 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded


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Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Actinolite
Formula: ◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
ⓘ Beryl
Formula: Be3Al2(Si6O18)
ⓘ Beryl var. Emerald
Formula: Be3Al2(Si6O18)
Description: The results of LA-ICP-MS showed that Kamakanga emeralds from Zambia had stable and high contents of alkali metals (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) in the range of 15,120 to 20,407 ppmw (avg. 17,592 ppmw). The alkali metal concentrations, from highest to lowest, were Na, Cs, Li, K, and Rb. The Na contents ranged from 12,343 to 23,517 ppmw (avg. 15,981 ppmw); the Cs contents ranged from 626 to 2724 ppmw (avg. 1331 ppmw); the Li contents ranged from 301 to 843 ppmw (avg. 485 ppmw); the K contents ranged from 119 to 573 ppmw (avg. 369 ppmw); and the Rb contents ranged from 21 to 248 ppmw (avg. 68 ppmw). Chromophore Cr, V, and Fe contents, respectively, ranged from 76 to 2934 ppmw (avg. 1435 ppmw), 78 to 183 ppmw (avg. 128 ppmw), and 5136 to 11,320 ppmw (avg. 8556 ppmw). The concentration of Cr was much higher than that of V and the Cr/V ratio was highly variable, ranging from 0.70 to 34.35. In addition, Zambian Kamakanga emeralds had high contents of Cs (avg. 1331 ppmw), Fe (avg. 8556 ppmw), and Li (avg. 485 ppmw).[[1]]
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ 'Chlorite Group'
ⓘ Fluorapatite
Formula: Ca5(PO4)3F
ⓘ Hematite
Formula: Fe2O3
ⓘ Magnetite
Formula: Fe2+Fe3+2O4
ⓘ Phlogopite
Formula: KMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Schorl
Formula: NaFe2+3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
ⓘ Talc
Formula: Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
ⓘ 'Tourmaline'
Formula: AD3G6(T6O18)(BO3)3X3Z
ⓘ Tremolite
Formula: ◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘMagnetite4.BB.05Fe2+Fe3+2O4
ⓘHematite4.CB.05Fe2O3
ⓘQuartz4.DA.05SiO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
ⓘFluorapatite8.BN.05Ca5(PO4)3F
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘBeryl9.CJ.05Be3Al2(Si6O18)
ⓘvar. Emerald9.CJ.05Be3Al2(Si6O18)
ⓘSchorl9.CK.05NaFe2+3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
ⓘActinolite9.DE.10◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
ⓘTremolite9.DE.10◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
ⓘTalc9.EC.05Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
ⓘPhlogopite9.EC.20KMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Unclassified
ⓘ'Chlorite Group'-
ⓘ'Tourmaline'-AD3G6(T6O18)(BO3)3X3Z

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ Actinolite◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Hⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Hⓘ SchorlNaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Hⓘ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Hⓘ Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
BeBeryllium
Beⓘ BerylBe3Al2(Si6O18)
Beⓘ Beryl var. EmeraldBe3Al2(Si6O18)
BBoron
Bⓘ SchorlNaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Bⓘ TourmalineAD3G6(T6O18)(BO3)3X3Z
CCarbon
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ Actinolite◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Oⓘ BerylBe3Al2(Si6O18)
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ Beryl var. EmeraldBe3Al2(Si6O18)
Oⓘ FluorapatiteCa5(PO4)3F
Oⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Oⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Oⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ SchorlNaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Oⓘ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Oⓘ TourmalineAD3G6(T6O18)(BO3)3X3Z
Oⓘ Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
FFluorine
Fⓘ FluorapatiteCa5(PO4)3F
NaSodium
Naⓘ SchorlNaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ Actinolite◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Mgⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Mgⓘ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Mgⓘ Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
AlAluminium
Alⓘ BerylBe3Al2(Si6O18)
Alⓘ Beryl var. EmeraldBe3Al2(Si6O18)
Alⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Alⓘ SchorlNaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
SiSilicon
Siⓘ Actinolite◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Siⓘ BerylBe3Al2(Si6O18)
Siⓘ Beryl var. EmeraldBe3Al2(Si6O18)
Siⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ SchorlNaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Siⓘ TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2
Siⓘ Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ FluorapatiteCa5(PO4)3F
KPotassium
Kⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
CaCalcium
Caⓘ Actinolite◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Caⓘ FluorapatiteCa5(PO4)3F
Caⓘ Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
FeIron
Feⓘ Actinolite◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Feⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Feⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Feⓘ SchorlNaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

AfricaContinent
African PlateTectonic Plate
Zambia

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References

www.africagems.com (n.d.) http://www.africagems.com/safari/mining1.html
(Hanco) Zwaan, J. C., Seifert, Antonín V., Vrána, Stanislav, Laurs, Brendan M., Anckar, Björn, (Skip) Simmons, William B., Falster, Alexander U., Lustenhouwer, Wim J., Muhlmeister, Sam, Koivula, John I., Garcia-Guillerminet, Héja (2005) Emeralds from the Kafubu Area, Zambia. Gems & Gemology, 41 (2) 116-148 doi:10.5741/gems.41.2.116
[1]Zhang, Yi, Yu, Xiao-Yan (2023) Inclusions and Gemological Characteristics of Emeralds from Kamakanga, Zambia. Minerals, 13 (3) 341 doi:10.3390/min13030341
Zhang, Yi, Yu, Xiaoyan (2023) Spectroscopy and Trace-Element Characteristics of Emeralds from Kamakanga, Zambia. Crystals, 13 (11) doi:10.3390/cryst13111605
www.getamap.net (n.d.) http://www.getamap.net/maps/zambia/luapula/_kamakanga/
www.getamap.net (n.d.) http://www.getamap.net/maps/zambia/eastern/_kamakanga/
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