The Italian Island of Elba: A Mineralogical Jewel in the Tuscan Archipelago

Five tectonic complexes and the Monte Capanne intrusion come together on the 229 square kilometer island that is Elba. This 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, but its pegmatites are even better known among mineral collectors for yielding fabulous polychrome elbaite, one of the nine mineral species for which Elba is the type locality. Adding to the island’s lure, its numerous classic and rare-species 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. Elba is the eighth installment in Lapis International's popular mineralogy monograph series extraLapis English.