A Mineralogical Jewel in the Tuscan Archipelago
Five tectonic complexes and the Monte Capanne intrusion come together to form the 229 square kilometer Italian island of Elba. The islands compact, complex geology is the setting for vast iron deposits and historic pegmatites. Elba´s famous iron mines have been long-time producers of world class pyrite and hematite specimens, and its pegmatites are even better known among mineral collectors for yielding species for which Elba is the type locality.
Adding to the island´s lure, its numerous classic and rarespecies localities are set among lovely villages, majestic cliffs, and long sandy beaches. Elba´s relaxed pace, fine food and wine, and rich flora and fauna invite hikers, sunbathers, cyclists, families, and mineral collectors to while away their vacations on this watery retreat off the Italian coast.
An Island Steeped in History
Federico Pezzotta
Elba as a Type Locality
Renato Pagano and Federico Pezzotta
A Place for Collectors and Their Families
Federico Pezzotta and Gloria Staebler
Elba´s Snakes
Christina Denison
Geology, Structure, Evolution of Elba
Federico Pezzotta
Map: The Island of Elba
Günther Neumeier
The Monte Capanne Pegmatites
Federico Pezzotta
Minerals of the Monte Capanne Pegmatites
Federico Pezzotta
Elba Ore Deposits
Federico Pezzotta
Minerals of the Elba Ore Deposits
Federico Pezzotta
Beyond the Classic Localities
Federico Pezzotta
Sooty Sweat or Tourmaline Spots?
Thw Argonauts and the Bianco Aplite
Andrea Dini
References and Source Material