Somalia

A rather crude emerald crystal measuring 17 mm in it's longest dimension. From the same location I've seen poorly crystallized "emerald masses" weighing 2 kg. Emerald crystals from this location often show a typical pale yellow-greenish core.

© Wolfgang Hampel

A wonderful pink opal from the Awdal region in Somaliland, close to the border with Ethiopia and Djibouti. This sample measures 20 mm in it's longest dimension. I've seen other opals from this region which rival the best Ethiopian opals.

© Wolfgang Hampel

Specimen weighing 143 g on dislpay at the Vernadsky State Geological Museum, Moscow. Photo: Paolo Bosio

Rare example of sky-blue beryl from Somaliland, the black patch is probably of the ferro-columbite/ferro-tantalite series (see note below). Note: This past summer I stumbled upon a tv documentary about Somaliland and a part of it happened to be shot in Hargeisa, the capital. One scene showed a man and his son undergoing some crude mining ...

© Aymeric Longi

Grains of elkinstantonite in a fragment of the El Ali meteorite. Holotype specimen MET11814/2-1/ EP1 in the University of Alberta Meteorite Collection. This is an SEM image taken by Chi Ma and uploaded with his kind permission. See the following for more information: Herd, C. D., Ma, C., Locock, A. J., Saini, R., & Walton, E. L. (2024). Three ...

Grains of elaliite in a fragment of the El Ali meteorite. Holotype specimen MET11814/2-1/ EP1 in the University of Alberta Meteorite Collection. This is an SEM image taken by Chi Ma and uploaded with his kind permission. See the following for more information: Herd, C. D., Ma, C., Locock, A. J., Saini, R., & Walton, E. L. (2024). Three new ...

Small blebs of olsenite in a fragment of the El Ali meteorite. Holotype specimen MET11814/2-1/ EP1 in the University of Alberta Meteorite Collection. This is an SEM image taken by Chi Ma and uploaded with his kind permission. See the following for more information: Herd, C. D., Ma, C., Locock, A. J., Saini, R., & Walton, E. L. (2024). Three new ...

The “Hafun” = Xaafuun salt works general view, in 1929. Vintage unique real photo postcard, photographer unknown. G. Grundmann collection.

© Günter Grundmann, Detmold.

The “Hafun” = Xaafuun salt miners leaving the mine camp, in 1929. Vintage unique real photo postcard, photographer unknown. G. Grundmann collection.

© Günter Grundmann, Detmold.

The “Hafun” = Xaafuun meeting of salt miners and sailors, in 1929. Vintage unique real photo postcard, photographer unknown. G. Grundmann collection.

© Günter Grundmann, Detmold.

The “Hordio” = Hurdiyo saline general view, in 1930. Vintage unique real photo postcard, photographer unknown. The huge salt flats, extended to 600 hectares (later increased to 1000 hectares), were located near Hordio (Hurdio, Hurdiyo), a small and inhospitable village where the temperature constantly fluctuated around 40 degrees and this ...

© Günter Grundmann, Detmold.

The “Hafun” = Xaafuun saline inauguration of the fuel container, in 1929. Vintage unique real photo postcard, photographer unknown. G. Grundmann collection.

© Günter Grundmann, Detmold.

The “Hafun” = Xaafuun saline management with members of the crew, in 1929. Vintage unique real photo postcard, photographer unknown. G. Grundmann collection.

© Günter Grundmann, Detmold.

Interior view of the “Hafun” = Xaafuun saline storage building, showing the inauguration mass, in 1929. Vintage unique real photo postcard, photographer unknown. G. Grundmann collection.

© Günter Grundmann, Detmold.

The “Hafun” = Xaafuun saline management with members of the crew, in 1929. Vintage unique real photo postcard, photographer unknown. G. Grundmann collection.

© Günter Grundmann, Detmold.