AUGITE SYENITE - Greenland
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Cut and polished
Ilimaussauq Alkali Igneous Complex, Kujalleq, Narsaq Peninsula, South Greenland
A gorgeous cut and polished sample of syenite, a coarse-grained igneous rock, with conspicuous crystals of augite.
The front is highly polished and the rear is a natural broken surface with sparkling crystal faces visible. One side has been cut flat so that the specimen can stand up for display.
The Ilímaussaq complex was formed during rifting in south west Greenland in the Precambrian era, about 1.6 billion years ago. It is one of the largest alkaline complexes in the world. It was formed in three phases by successive intrusion of magma, the first phase consisting of augite syenite.