Auction Win: Andradite on Melanite
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Details
Locality: Sandaré, Sandaré Commune, Nioro du Sahel Cercle, Kayes Region, Mali
Size: Miniature - 3.7 × 2.7 × 2.1 cm
Andradite is a calcium iron silicate garnet, Ca3Fe3+2(SiO4)3, and melanite is its black titanium-bearing variety. Andradite was first described in 1868 by Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld, and the name honors José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva. Its gem varieties can range from green to black, with melanite noted for its dark color.
Sandaré, in Sandaré Commune of Nioro du Sahel Cercle in Mali’s Kayes Region, is a roadside locality on the main Bamako-Kayes route and a collection point for material found farther south. It is associated with prehnite and epidote, while nearby diggings about 2 km east of the village are noted for garnet and vesuvianite. The locality is also important to collectors because some prehnite attributed to Sandaré is considered to have come from other nearby areas, making correct provenance especially relevant for specimens.
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