Alpe delle Frasse , Laietto Piedmont Italy

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Among the trip we did this Summer we visisted the locality of Alpe delle Frasse which , due to the superb quality  and the large amount of collected specimens , is surely one of the top mineral localities for the rodingite minerals. Since 1992 a regular mining claim has been recognized to a group of collectors: a case unique on all the Italian territory. So collecting is only allowed in the dumps.

The mineral site is located on the orographic valley left of Val di Susa   Piedmont  Italy.The footpath n 569 will take you in 1,5 hour walk from the Pratobotrile village to Alpe delle Frasse.

Alpe delle Frasse Area	The dumps
hessonite loose crystals in the ground	A  2 cm green diopside

Three rodingite dikes  inside a serpentinite mass are present . Rodingite are metasomatically alterated rocks , originated during the alpine metahmorphism.

After two years of stop the work for collecting pieces are now going on and we heard that very nice hessonite samples and above all vesuvianite of green brown color in crystal of  7 cm were found during the last spring......

Minerals present here are Hessonite  in very bright and vivid red crystals, Vesuvianite also in polycromich crystal  , Epidote, Titanite Apatite Diopside complete the most interesting minerals that could be found here.

The entrance to the claim	The  dumps at he top of the rock there is the private mine
Good hessonite piece

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