View of the Manambolo Valley

Andronondambo Sapphire deposit: view of artisanal diggings.

Andronondambo Sapphire deposit: view of artisanal diggings. The miners follow subvertical plagioclasite veins (white) which carry sapphire.

Andronondambo Sapphire deposit: coarse recrystallized marble with small pyroxene and phlogopite crystals.

Andronondambo Sapphire deposit: contact zone with small pyroxene and blue-green apatite crystals.

Andronondambo Sapphire deposit: artisanal diggings in alluvial/eluvial sediments.

Andronondambo Sapphire deposit: view of artisanal diggings.

Andronondambo Sapphire deposit: artisanal miner.

Andronondambo Sapphire deposit: contact aureole (top right) along mined out plagioclasite vein in marble.

Andronondambo Sapphire deposit: contact zone rich in small pyroxene crystals.

Andronondambo Sapphire deposit: plagioclasite sample with a 5 mm sapphire crystal