Specifications
Beschreibung
Locality: Sakoany Deposit, Katsepy, Mitsinjo District, Boeny Region, Madagascar
Description: This celestite comes from Sakoany, near the mouth of the Betsiboka River on Madagascar's northwest coast, the world's best-known source of blue celestite geodes. The site is not a single mine but hundreds of small hand-dug pits spread over about 10 square kilometres around the village.
The crystals grow inside geodes in a layer up to 30 metres thick, sandwiched between limestone full of crinoid fossils and sandy greywacke, laid down about 65 million years ago. One geode reported from Sakoany was about 60 cm across and weighed 54 kg. Celestite is strontium sulphate, and it takes its name from its sky-blue colour, from the Latin for heavenly. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1798.
This one-of-a-kind celestite specimen from Madagascar features a dense cluster of vibrant blue crystals nestled in a natural geode-like cavity. The crystals are sharply terminated, transparent to translucent, and display classic orthorhombic geometry with a subtle glassy luster. Ranging from light sky-blue to deeper slate tones, the color is especially rich in the larger central crystals and contrasts beautifully against the pale limestone matrix.
The interior is densely packed, giving the specimen a striking, almost architectural quality. Whether for display, collection, or study, this piece brings both aesthetic appeal and mineralogical interest in a highly presentable form.
Chemical Composition: SrSO₄
Quantity: 1pc
With this product, you will get the actual stone in the photograph. We do what we can to buy good quality products and price them honestly. The rocks may differ from the photos, but we hope we do them justice.