BM1968,P37,72 Quartz Fenite -polished rock section

Quartz fenite from Chilwa Island in Malawi.

It was a nice sunny afternoon, but I was stuck indoors cataloguing and treating rock section images for Emma's PhD. This is one of many differing rock samples from the region.

The rock is shot through with various mineral veins. A quartz, plagioclase & orthoclase feldspar matrix with veins of ilmenite, aegerine, magnetite and apatite. It also has elevated levels of rare earth minerals left by the fluids driven off the nearby igneous carbonatite intrusion.

But from my point of view I think it is quite a pretty rock!