Garnet
Garnet is a mineral that comes in many different colors, but is most commonly found in shades of red. Its name comes from the Latin word "granatum," which means "seed," because the small red crystals that garnet often resembles the seeds of a pomegranate.
Garnet has been used for thousands of years as a gemstone and has been highly valued by many cultures throughout history. It was believed to have many healing properties and was used to treat a variety of ailments.
In addition to its physical healing properties, garnet was also believed to have emotional and spiritual healing properties. It was said to help with emotional healing, to promote positive feelings such as love and compassion, and to help release negative emotions such as anger and jealousy.
Uvarovite: Idiochromatic, colour due to chromium. Attractive 'emerald' green, but crystals suitable for fashioning is extremely rare making it almost unknown as a gemstone.
Grossular: Transparent to translucent
Hessonite: (Cinnamon-Stone, Hyacinth, Jacintti) Brownish-yellow to brownish-red, yellowish-orange.
Sample size: 5 x 5 x 2.7 cm |
Sample size: 5 x 5 x 2.7 cm |
Sample size: 5 x 5 x 2.7 cm |
Tsavorite: Bright bluish-green to yellowing green. Yellow and colourless are also known. (R.I.'s slightly lower.)
Origin: Merelani Hills, Arusha, Tanzania Sample size: 1.2 x 1 x 0.7 cm |
Origin: Merelani Hills, Arusha, Tanzania Sample size: 1.2 x 1 x 0.7 cm |
Origin: Merelani Hills, Arusha, Tanzania Sample size: 1.2 x 1 x 0.7 cm |
Origin: Merelani Hills, Arusha, Tanzania Sample size: 1.2 x 1 x 0.7 cm |
Hgdrogrossular Translucent to sub-translucent, green, pink, greyish-white ornamental.
Andradite: Transparent to sub-translucent. - Demantoid: Green; rarely yellow (Topaziolite'). - Melanite: Black, nearly opaque.
Demantoid Garnet from Ghazni, Afghanistan. |
Demantoid Garnet from Ghazni, Afghanistan. |
Phenomena: Rare
yellow demantoid may show chatoyancy. Some very dark semitranslucent to opaque
andradite
Demantoid Garnet from Ghazni, Afghanistan. |
Physical properties:
Table 15.2 Physical properties of the garnet group.
|
Pyrope |
Almandine |
Spessartine |
Grossular |
Andradite |
Cleavage |
none |
none |
none |
none |
none |
Hardness |
7.00-7.50 |
7.00-7.50 |
7.00-7.50 |
7.00-7.50 |
6.50-7.00 |
Specific Gravity |
3.70-3.90 |
3.90-4.30 |
4.12-4.20 |
3.57-3.73 |
3.81-3.87 |
Refractive Index |
1.72- 1.76 |
1.77- 1.82 |
1.79- 1.814 |
1.73- 1.76 |
1.855 - 1.895 |
Optical Nature |
S/ R |
S/R |
S/R |
S/R |
S/R |
Dispersion |
0.002 |
0.24 |
0.27 |
0.028 |
0.057 |
Lustre |
bright vitreous |
bright vitreous |
bright vitreous |
bright vitreous |
sub adamantine |
Other points:
Durability: Good
Birthstone: January
Pyralspite Series:
Stones are SR but ADR is common, particularly among the reds.
PYROPE: Red, orangy-red, purplish-red.
Inclusions: Low relief and acicular crystals.
Spectrum: Chrome present in best colours; most show presence of some almandine.
Occurrence: South Africa, Sri Lanka, USA, Australia, Russia.
RHODOLITE: (Light. to dark reddish-purple to purplish-red). Mid-member between pyrope and almandine. No internationally accepted name has been found for this section of the series (R.I. l.74-1.77/S.G. 3.74-3.9(Usually shows almandine spectrum).
Occurrence: Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Zimbabwe. Madagascar, USA.
ALMANDINE: Idiochromatic, colour is due to iron. Some almandine displays a weak 4- or 6-rayed star. The name 'carbuncle' (small coal) is still sometimes applied to almandine cut in the form of hollow cabochons (to lighten colour look).
Inclusions: Needles intersecting (at 110" and 70°) in two (occasionally 3) directions, which may give rise to a 4 or 6-rayed star: both well-formed and rounded crystals; zircon halos.
Spectrum: Colour is due to iron. Typical spectrum has bands at 505, 527 and 575 nm. A series of weaker bands may be seen on either side.
Almandine Garnet Spectrum
Occurrence: India, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Madagascar, Tanzania, Zambia, Pakistan. USA.
MALAYA (Mali): is a bright orange garnet and a member of the pyralspite series (R.I. 1.75 to 1.76) and a rare colour-changing garnet (bluish-green in daylight/purplish-red in incandescent) with an R.I. of 1.765, S.G. 3.88, consists primarily of a mixture of pyrope spessartine garnet.
Occurrence: East Africa.
SPESSARTINE: Colored by manganese. Yellowish-orange, red, brownish-red.
Inclusions: Wavy liquid droplets, and 2-phase inclusions.
Occurrence: Sri Lanka, Africa, Namibia, Brazil, Burma, Madagascar, India, Australia, USA
Ugrandite Series:
GROSSULAR: Transparent to translucent.
HESSONITE: Inclusions: Classic granular appearance caused by a profusion of rounded crystals (may he. apatite or zircon) and oily/treacly internal effect.
Occurrence: Gem gravels of Sri Lanka, Brazil, Canada, Kenya (relatively clean).
TSAVORITE: Color is attributed to the presence of vanadium but many stones appear red under 'the Chelsea Color Filter due to a trace of chrome. Colourless and yellow grossular R.Is are slightly lower at 1.750 to 1.762
Occurrence: Kenya (Tsavo ), Tanzania, Pakistan.
HYDROGROSSULAR: Translucent to opaque green and pink massive material. Chromium is the cause of colour in some green varieties (may appear pinkish through the Chelsea Colour Filter).
Inclusions: May show black inclusions in translucent pink or green background.
Occurrence:, New Zealand, USA, Pakistan
ANDRADITE:
DEMANTOID: Green, yellowish-green, may appear reddish under the CCF. Yellow demantoid very rare. Stones are usually less than 1 carat. Inclusions: Classic 'horsetail' (fibrous byssolite).
Occurrence: Green - (Urals - found as rolled pebbles, fine green material now rare), Italy, Zaire. Yellow - Italy, Switzerland. Pakistan
Horsetail Inclusions in Demantoid garnet Origin: Khuzdar district, Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. |
Horsetail Inclusions in Demantoid garnet Origin: Khuzdar district, Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. |
Horsetail Inclusions in Demantoid garnet Origin: Khuzdar district, Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. |
Horsetail Inclusions in Demantoid garnet Origin: Khuzdar district, Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. |
Horsetail Inclusions in Demantoid garnet Origin: Khuzdar district, Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. |
Horsetail Inclusions in Demantoid garnet Origin: Khuzdar district, Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. |
Horsetail Inclusions in Demantoid garnet Origin: Khuzdar district, Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. |
Horsetail Inclusions in Demantoid garnet Origin: Khuzdar district, Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. |
KEY POINTS
1. Almandine from Pyrope RI, Spectra
2. Almandine from Rhodolite RI, Colour
3. Almandine from Malaya RI, Spectra, Color change
4. Almandine from Spessartine Colour, spectrum
5. Almandine from Hessonite Colour, RI, Spectrum
6. Rhodolite from Pyrope Colour, RI, Spectrum
7. Rhodolite from Malaya Colour, Spectrum, RI
8. Pyrope from red spinal, syn. Spinal Magnification, RI, F
9. Pyrope from Hessonite colour, spectra ,RI,F
10. Malaya from Hessonite Colour, spectra, RI
11. Demantoid(green) from Tsavorite (green) RI, Spectrum, Magnetic
12. Spessartine(orange) from Hessonite RI, Spectra
Note: If the garnet RI is 1.740 to 1.770, and purple to purples to red or pink colour and an almandine spectrum, it should be identified as rhodolite garnet
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