Provenite

Carnaiba emerald mines (Serra da Carnaiba, Pindobacu)

AreaActiveDraft data

10.7428° S, 40.3628° W · ± 10 km

Emerald from Bahia, Brazil, with photos of specimens from this locality.

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Minerals found here

Emerald

Emerald at Carnaiba emerald mines (Serra da Carnaiba, Pindobacu)

Large matrix specimen with emerald crystals up to 6 cm from the Carnaiba mines, Bahia.
Large matrix specimen with emerald crystals up to 6 cm from the Carnaiba mines, Bahia.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Deep green emerald crystals on quartz and schist matrix from Carnaiba, Bahia.
Deep green emerald crystals on quartz and schist matrix from Carnaiba, Bahia.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Older specimen of non-gemmy green emerald crystals from the Carnaiba mine, Bahia.
Older specimen of non-gemmy green emerald crystals from the Carnaiba mine, Bahia.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Formula
Be3Al2Si6O18
Morphology
Hexagonal prisms in groups on schist and quartz matrix
Typical size
Crystals up to about 6 cm
Color / luster
Deep to rich green, mostly translucent to opaque
Associated minerals
Quartz

Sources: SRC-832 SRC-833

About Emerald →

Geology of the locality

Region
Bahia
Country
Brazil

Coordinates are those of Pindobacu town (Portuguese Wikipedia), nicknamed the emerald capital for the small-scale mining in the Serra da Carnaiba; the individual workings are not located. Campo Formoso district.

Sources: SRC-832

Sources

  1. SRC-832 · Website
    PindobacuWikipedia contributors · Wikipedia (Portuguese)
  2. SRC-833 · Website
    File:Beryl-215441.jpg (Wikimedia Commons)Robert M. Lavinsky · Wikimedia Commons

Draft data from the Provenite workbook. Check entries against the cited sources before relying on them. Photos are open-licence images from Wikimedia Commons; the author and licence are given with each photo.