Riveo, Ticino, Switzerland

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(text and pictures by Harjo Neutkens)

In July 2006 Harjo Neutkens visited with his daughter and wife the quarries around Riveo in Vall Maggia. In the quarries around Riveo and Cevio gneis is being exploited for use as building material (the Maggia gneis is famous for its durability and resistance to weather influences). I asked at the restaurant opposite the quarry for permission to enter the quarries, as it happened the owner was there having a beer (it was hot that week....) and he very friendly granted me permission to enter the quarries. Nowadays most of the minerals can be found in small cracks but long ago (decades...) very nice alpine type clefts have been found there. On the third and last visit (I had already found some mineralised cracks on previous visits, but not the real thing......) I was inspecting a big block in the "cava Beola" quarry showing good signs, started hitting it and, to my surprise, after half an hour suddenly Chlorite started trickling out of a small hole.......a good sign! I started opening the hole and before my eyes a small cleft opened, very, very rare nowadays for this location. Out came abundant and beautifull Epidote, Apatite (long prismatic up to 1 ,2 cm.), lots of nice pink Titanite, nice Prehnite, Laumontite, Apophyllite, Adularia, Albite, Molybdenite, Magnetite, Pyrite, clear Quartz crystals up to 6 cm long and Chlorite. Just before a thunderstorm hit the place I wrapped my stuff up and the three of us walked to the restaurant opposite the quarry where we had a great meal (and some nice wine!). It's not allowed to enter the quarry without permission of the owner.

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