Provenite

Pizzo Marcio emerald pegmatites (Trontano)

AreaUnknownDraft data

46.1222° N, 8.3333° E · ± 10 km

Emerald from Piemonte, Italy, with photos of specimens from this locality.

View on the map

Minerals found here

Emerald

Emerald at Pizzo Marcio emerald pegmatites (Trontano)

Light green prismatic emerald crystals up to 11 mm on matrix from Pizzo Marcio, Vigezzo valley.
Light green prismatic emerald crystals up to 11 mm on matrix from Pizzo Marcio, Vigezzo valley.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
A 7 mm light green emerald prism on matrix from Pizzo Marcio, Vigezzo valley.
A 7 mm light green emerald prism on matrix from Pizzo Marcio, Vigezzo valley.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
A 1.5 cm light green emerald prism on matrix from Pizzo Marcio, Vigezzo valley.
A 1.5 cm light green emerald prism on matrix from Pizzo Marcio, Vigezzo valley.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
An 8 mm light green emerald crystal on matrix from Pizzo Marcio, Vigezzo valley.
An 8 mm light green emerald crystal on matrix from Pizzo Marcio, Vigezzo valley.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Formula
Be3Al2Si6O18
Morphology
Prismatic hexagonal crystals on matrix
Typical size
Crystals about 0.7-1.5 cm
Color / luster
Light green, vitreous
Associated minerals
Albitebavenitebertranditebityitemilariteroggianitecolumbite-group mineralsvigezzitechabazite-Castilbite-Ca
Trace elements
Traces of Cr (about 0.03 wt% Cr2O3) with high Na2O and MgO in the beryl
History
Pizzo Marcio North dike known for gemmy emerald in the past; electron microprobe analyses confirmed chromium, so the green beryl is true emerald

Sources: SRC-821 SRC-823

About Emerald →

Geology of the locality

Setting
Albitized pegmatite dikes of probable Alpine age cutting ultramafic metamorphic rocks (serpentinites) of the Vigezzo valley; the Pizzo Marcio North dike produced gemmy emerald
Host rock
Albitized granitic pegmatite in ultramafic rock
Region
Piemonte
Country
Italy

Coordinates are those of Trontano village (Italian Wikipedia); the dikes on Pizzo Marcio are not placed exactly. Vigezzo valley, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province.

Sources: SRC-821 SRC-822

Sources

  1. SRC-821 · Article
    Vigezzite and associated Nb-Ta oxides of emerald pegmatitic deposits of Vigezzo valley (Western Alps, Italy)Guastoni, A.; Diella, V.; Pezzotta, F.; Demartin, F. · Conference abstract (Elba pegmatite meeting), hosted by the Mineralogical Society of America
  2. SRC-822 · Website
    TrontanoWikipedia contributors · Wikipedia (Italian)
  3. SRC-823 · Website
    File:Beryl-239887.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.