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Sapphire alluvials, Andamby, Djangoa Commune, Ambanja District, Diana, Madagascari
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Sapphire alluvials | Alluvials (Uncertain) |
| Andamby | Village |
| Djangoa Commune | Commune |
| Ambanja District | District |
| Diana | Region |
| Madagascar | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
13° 46' 32'' South , 48° 21' 2'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Alluvials (Uncertain) - last checked 2024
Deposit first discovered:
2011
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Ambanja | 30,621 (2018) | 16.2km |
| Antafondro | 200 (2018) | 40.7km |
| Hell-Ville | 22,680 (2018) | 43.1km |
Name(s) in local language(s):
Andamby, Kaominin'i Djangoa, Distrikan' Ambanja, Faritr'i Diana, Faritanin' Antsiranana, Madagasikara
A new site with alluvial sapphires discovered in May or June 2011 by local rice farmers. Presently (August 2011) worked by some 1,000 to 2,000 diggers. To date, sapphires have been found over an NW-SE trending area measuring approximately 500 x 100 m. The diggers follow a thin, 3 to 5 cm thick layer of sapphire-bearing gravel at a depth of 3 to 6 m. The host rock of the primary mineralization is not known, but presumably it is an alkaline basalt.
The site is situated right on the National Highway RN6 linking Antananarivo with Diego-Suarez, just some 14 km before you reach Ambanja.
Update June 2012: After not even a year of extensive digging, all artisanal mining has ceased. After the rainy season, which stopped in April, all pits are flooded. It remains doubtful if the local sapphire diggers will resume mining during the dry season (site visit by Wolfgang Hampel, 27 May 2012).
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
2 valid minerals.
Detailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Corundum Formula: Al2O3 References: |
| ⓘ Corundum var. Sapphire Formula: Al2O3 References: |
| ⓘ Quartz Formula: SiO2 References: |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Corundum | 4.CB.05 | Al2O3 |
| ⓘ | var. Sapphire | 4.CB.05 | Al2O3 |
| ⓘ | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| O | Oxygen | |
|---|---|---|
| O | ⓘ Corundum | Al2O3 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Corundum var. Sapphire | Al2O3 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Corundum | Al2O3 |
| Al | ⓘ Corundum var. Sapphire | Al2O3 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
AfricaContinent
African Plate
- Antongil BlockCraton
- Diego Ambilobe basinBasin
Madagascar
- ⭔Antsiranana ProvinceProvince
Somali PlateTectonic Plate
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Sapphire alluvials, Andamby, Djangoa Commune, Ambanja District, Diana, Madagascar