Description
The rarest things on Earth were formed by the most ordinary processes, repeated for eons. Grandidierite was described in 1902 from Madagascar and for decades was represented in mineral collections by a handful of specimens from that original locality. Its teal-blue color comes from iron; it is strongly trichroic, showing blue-green, colorless, and dark blue-green from different directions. Facetable quality remained elusive until a new Malagasy find in 2014.
This specimen originates from Tranomaro, Anosy Region, Madagascar, one of the world’s most significant localities for this type of material. Collectors and scientists have drawn from this region for generations, and for good reason: the combination of geological conditions here produces specimens of exceptional quality and clarity.
Every specimen is unique. Photographs approximate the visual experience, but the real thing — its weight, its luster under a raking light, the way it catches the corner of your eye — can only be experienced directly.
