This cat's-eye pezzottaite cabochon weighs 2.92 ct; courtesy of Mark Kaufman, photo by Maha Tannous.

Ilakaka area. Tom Cushman (Allerton Cushman & Co., Sun Valley, Idaho) guided the Ilakaka portion, and we were joined by Edward Boehm (JOEB Enterprises, Solana Beach, California). We flew from Antananarivo to Tulear on the southwest coast, and drove three hours to the gem-trading town of Sakaraha, and then an additional hour to Ilakaka (all on the partially paved Route Nationale 7). For the past several years, Ilakaka has become well known as a source of fine sapphires and related gem materials. In the last two to three years, additional discoveries have significantly expanded the mining activities, making this one of the largest sapphire deposits in the world. All of the mining areas are hosted by the Isalo Formation, in sediments that were originally deposited into the Morondava basin. The main producing localities are found in the Ilakaka-Sakaraha region and in another district near Bezaha (along the OnilahyRiver), 118 air-km southwest of Ilakaka. Another area that is rumored to produce similar gems is located 350 km north of Ilakaka, in west-central Madagascar. Called Miandravaso, this area is also underlain by the Isalo Formation, but it remains unclear whether significant deposits have been found there.

The main trading areas for the gems from this region are still Ilakaka and Sakaraha, which have maintained their “Wild West” atmosphere. Security remains a problem, as robberies are common; a gunfight occurred in Ilakaka during the first night of our visit. Most of the buyers in Ilakaka and Sakaraha are Sri Lankan, with Thais comprising a minor percentage; there are only a few European traders. Interviews with gem traders there revealed that production had decreased significantly since Madagascar’s political crisis last year, to perhaps 60% of former levels (see “Madagascar split halts gem trade,” Colored Stone, Vol. 15, No. 4, p. 6). Stones traded in Ilakaka are being produced from several areas, most of which are within 40 km of the town; these include Sakalama, Ampasimamitaka, Vohimena, Bekily (not the garnet location), and Manombo Voavoa. Stones from the Bezaha district are traded in Sakaraha.

We visited the Manombo Voavoa deposit, located 38 km west of Ilakaka, which has been mined since February 2003. Approximately 500 miners were active in the gem-rush atmosphere, and the area appeared to be growing—with new temporary shelters being constructed along the highway. Dozens of shallow pits were concentrated on the south bank of the AndongozaRiver. Some of these pits had 1-m-diameter shafts, reportedly reaching 20–30 m deep, that were accessed by primitive windlass systems. This mining method was also seen in the old workings at Ilakaka, and was apparently new to this area of Madagascar since Mr. Cushman’s previous visit in early 2002. The gem-bearing gravel was washed in the river, and the stones were removed from the sieves by hand. During our visit, we saw only small sapphires and other waterworn gems (typically less than 1.5 ct), but they occurred in a wide range of fancy colors, as well as blue.

Other sapphire localities. We also learned of several recently discovered areas that are reportedly being mined for sapphires. A mechanized operation will soon exploit a new deposit on the volcanic islandof Nosy Be, located off the northwest coast. Gem-quality reddish orange zircon is also found in association with the blue to greenish blue sapphires. Small quantities of predominantly blue sapphires are produced from the Andilamena region in northern-central Madagascar, at Amboasary, Andrebabe, and Fenerive Est. An alluvial deposit in the Manatenina area near the southeastern coast is reportedly producing blue sapphires that are similar to those from Andranondambo.

Pezzottaite mine. In September 2003, the International Mineralogical Association approved a proposal submitted by two independent groups of scientists (from North America and Switzerland) to designate the pink Cs-beryl from Ambatovita, Madagascar, as a new mineral of the beryl group. It has been named pezzottaite after Dr. Federico Pezzotta (Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Milan, Italy), in recognition of his contributions to the mineralogy of Madagascar. Dr. Pezzotta guided this contributor on a five-day expedition to the mine, which is located about 140 air-km southwest of Antsirabe (see Spring 2003 GNI section, pp. 50–54). Mining of the pegmatite for pezzottaite (and tourmaline) continues, but at a slower pace than in earlier months. Approximately 20 people were working the mine, which they refer to as “Sakavalana.” Information provided by the miners, as well as our observations of the surface and underground workings, indicated that all the pezzottaite produced to date came from a limited area within a single granitic pegmatite. The majority of the gem-bearing zone appears to have been mined out, and the remaining areas are difficult to work with the hand tools available. Small amounts of pezzottaite were available at the mine, as well as elsewhere in Madagascar, but the material shown to us was of low quality.

Other gem finds. A significant find of tsavorite occurred in July 2003, within the area near Edjeda in southern Madagascar that has been known to produce this garnet (see Winter 1999 Gem News, p. 218). Several kilograms of small pieces of gem rough were reportedly produced. In the Bekily area, an additional primary deposit of color-change garnet has yielded a small amount of 1+ gram rough, but without the vivid color change shown by some of the material mined previously from this area. Small quantities of grossular garnet (R.I.=1.740), ranging from yellowish green to yellow-orange to pale orange-red, were available from a new skarn deposit in the Antsongombato region of central Madagascar. Due to the brecciated nature of the rock, the faceted stones typically range up to just 1.5 ct.

Also in the Antsongombato area, attractive crystals of dark red tourmaline are being mined by a group headed by Dr. Pezzotta. Further south, in FianarantsoaState of central Madagascar, at least two pegmatites are being mined for carving-quality multicolored tourmaline; small quantities of faceting-quality material are found there as well.

Brendan M. Laurs