The Mineralogical Record, Jul/Aug 2002
This special publication on Madagascar inaugurates Lapis publisher Christian Weise’s new series of English-language versions of this popular ExtraLapis monographs (originally published in German). As usual for the German ExtraLapis issues, the production quality is superb, and the photographs excellent.
The book leads off with indexes of Madagascar localities and mineral species mentioned, then launches into a history of gem hunting and mineral collecting on the big island. Alfred Lacroix (the French mineralogist and author of the monumental three-volume Mineralogie de Madagascar, 1922-1923) figures prominently, of course, along with later workers such as Jean Behier; a bibliographical list covers all of the major references. The introductory chapter also discusses sociopolitical problems specific to Madagascar and how the relevant laws have changed in recent years. The most important modern collections of Madagascar minerals are identified, not surprisingly, as those of the Musee National d’Histoire Naturelle, the Musee de Mineralogie at the School of Mines, and the Sorbonne (Universite Pierre et Marie Curie), all located in Paris. Also noted are the collections of the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Milan, Italy (source of many of the illustrated specimens), the Kristallmuseum Riedenburg in Almuhltal, Germany, and the mineralogical museum of the Service des Mines in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
A brief review of Madagascar geology in general is then followed by a succession of brief notes (usually only a page or two each) and many color photos on the many interesting localities in Madagascar, including the Itrongay gem orthoclase occurrence; the Betroka-Bekily uranothorianite skarns; the pegmatites at Lake Alaotra, Betafo-Antsirabee, Sahatany, Antandrokomby, Anjanabonoina, and Antsongombato; the many occurrences of fine quartz and amethyst crystals, the Sakoany celestite geode locality, and many others.
In keeping with Lapis’s usual style, these locality and mineral descriptions don’t go far into the technical mineralogical details. The text is designed to be entirely understandable by most average collectors without a professional mineralogical background.
This is a valuable collector’s review of an area difficult to acquire information about; and it is very reasonably priced.
-Wendell E. Wilson
|
