Copal localities, Sava, Madagascari

Regional Level Types
Copal localities	- not defined -
Sava	Region
Madagascar	Country

Between 1991 and 1995, several tons of copal were discovered and exploited at small sites in the rainforests around Sambava and Vohemar, Madagascar. Initially, this material was marketed as “Madagascar amber.” The reported localities are now said to be exhausted, and no precise quarry sites have ever been documented.

The age of "Malagasy copal" has long been debated in the literature, with estimates ranging from just a few decades to several million years. For example, Geirnaert (2002) suggested an age of approximately 2 million years. More recently, however, Declos et al. (2020) concluded that Malagasy copal is of recent origin.

The resin derives from the leguminous tree Hymenaea verrucosa, which grows in the humid forests around Sambava and Vohemar. This species is often cultivated to provide shade for vanilla plants. Although Hymenaea has been present in Madagascar since the Miocene, Declos et al. (2020) found no evidence that "Malagasy copal" has been obtained from underground deposits. Instead, so-called “Madagascar copal” consists of hardened resin collected directly from living trees rather than fossilized material.

FTIR analyses of Malagasy copal reveal characteristic intense absorption bands between 1700–1730 cm⁻¹ and around 1600 cm⁻¹. These correspond to ester and carboxyl groups, and to ester groups and C=C bonds, respectively.

Copalite from this area has been erroneously labelled as coming from Northern Madiaomby, which probably refers to the Madiaomby pegmatite.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References