Description
SPESSARTINE SPECIMEN
This is the translucent orange spessartine specimen. Dimensions: 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.2″ (1 x 1 x 0.6cm). Weight – 5.5ct (1.1 grams). Origin: Russia, Transbaikalia.
Some information about spessartine:
Spessartine, sometimes mistakenly referred to as spessartite, is a nesosilicate, manganese aluminium garnet species. The mineral spessartine should not be confused with a type of igneous rock (a lamprophyre) called spessartite.
Spessartine’s name is a derivative of Spessart in Bavaria, Germany, the type locality of the mineral. It occurs most often in granite pegmatite and allied rock types and in certain low-grade metamorphic phyllites.
Spessartine, like the other garnets, always occurs as a blend with other species. Gems with high spessartine content tend toward a light orange hue, while almandine prevalence induces red or brownish hues.
