Description
A garnet composed of manganese aluminum silicate. The color of spessartine may range from an orange-yellow to brownish-red. Gem quality stones are mined in Germany, Malagasy Republic, India, and the United States (Colorado and Maine). Historically, spessartine gemstones are rare but a few have been found dating to the 2nd and 3rd century BCE (Odgen 1982).
Synonyms and Related Terms
garnet; spessartite; espesartina (Esp;); Spessartin (Deut.); spessartien (Ned.)
| 3MnO-Al2O3-3SiO2 |
| 7.0 - 7.5 |
| 4.15 |
| 1.800-1.810 |
Other Properties
Fracture = conchoidal. Luster = vitreous to resinous. Streak = colorless.
Additional Information
° J. Ogden, Jewelry of the Ancient World, Rizzoli International Publications, New York, 1982.
° Mineralogy Database: Spessartine
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Last updated on: 7/13/2009 12:41:26 PM
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