Sodalite from Malawi: a New Discovery
Gary Roskin
Roskin Gem News Report
Kilometers of Sodalite up Mulanje Mountain
When one thinks of the classic gem materials, Sodalite unfortunately is not one of them. In fact, you could probably name off dozens of gems before you get to Sodalite. And yet, it is a beautiful material, similar in appearance to, and often confused with, Lapis. Not surprisingly, it has taken a back seat to Lapis it’s entire history. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the last time it was written up in the Journal of Gemmology was back in 1979, Volume 16, Issue 7 (1979) – The blue colour of sodalite, or in a 1990 Gem Note, Gems & Gemology, Unusual gem quality sodalite.
But now, thanks to a discovery of kilometers of material in Malawi, this may all change.
The new Malawi Sodalite discovery lies in the field moving up Mulanje mountain. According to prospector Alfred Noah, “The mine is really in the same area as that of Mulanje Massif, a very nice tourism area.” Hiking trails, with waterfalls attract campers from neighboring areas. “The concession is huge,” says Noah, “covering almost 50 square km, with various sodalite outcroppings. Right now, we are only focusing on one outcrop.”
“The Sodalite comes in huge boulders seen here, hosted by granite and what looks to me like phonolites with some calcite of course. The smaller chunks have a good percentage of sodalite. The larger boulders tend to have both granite and sodalite.”
The aim of the partners involved in this production is two-fold: 1. to offer the smaller pieces to local women and youth, to help empower them and their community with arts & crafts Sodalite workshops, creating value added products for sale to the tourist trade, and 2. to provide large Sodalite blocks, as per customers’ requirements. (e.g. 2.5m x 2m x 1.5 m) for creating Sodalite jewelry lines for international markets.
