Mineralogical Excursion to Mozambique
For inquiries please contact us at [email protected]
Geo-Expeditions is planning to organise a mineralogical-geological excursion to Mozambique in the period 2005 – 2006. The country is famous for its pegmatitic deposits of beryl, emerald, garnet and aquamarine.
The country offers some spectacular geological and mineralogical sites, as well as cultural and recreational attractions. After having been devastated in many years of civil war, Mozambique is bound to become a prime tourist destination.
So after getting your hands dirty from collecting some prime rock and mineral specimens there are plenty of white unspoilt beaches to relax. And, South Africa has a lot to offer as well. So why not add some prime game viewing or a visit to the Bushveld Complex or Barberton Greenstone Belt?
We organise everything, the expert guides, vehicles, inland flights, permits, accommodation (likely to be basic in some parts of Mozambique), catering and whatever else has to be arranged. You organize your visa, speak to your doctor (malaria prophylaxis is essential)
Interested? Then contact us at [email protected]
Polished aquamarine, garnet and green turmaline.
Aquamarine
Giant quartz crystals, Naquissupa.
Uncut tourmalines and aquamarines. Coin is 22 mm across.
The northern Mozambique pegmatite province is well known for its pegmatites and covers an area within a ~200km radius of the town of Alto Ligonha. This area includes almost every pegmatite in Mozambique and includes the most important pegmatite areas of Alto Ligonha and the eastern Nampula area.
The main concentration of economic pegmatites occurs within the Alto Ligonha Pegmatite Field close to the town of Alto Ligonha. The pegmatites contain a complex mineralogy of which the following are of potential economic importance and have been recovered in the past:
- rare metals, especially tantalite
- rare earth and radioactive elements
- gemstones (aquamarine, morganite, rubelite, verdelite, emerald, etc)
- rare and attractive mineral crystals
- raw materials for the glass and ceramic industries, i.e. quartz, feldspar and kaolin
- industrial minerals, i.e. mica, beryl and others
The first reports of pegmatite mining in the Alto Ligonha area dates back to around 1926 and continued for several decades thereafter (Bettencourt Dias & Wilson, 2000). In the 1960’s Mozambique was the second largest producer of beryl in the world (and also contributed significantly to lithium, niobium and tantalum production. Today a limited amount of mining is taking place in the region.
For further information see Dias and Wilson (2000), The Alto Ligonha Pegmatites – Mozambique (The Mineralogical Record, vol. 31, November-December, 2000)