Spessartite Garnet Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
Spessartite is somewhat rare. As with the other garnets, it always occurs in a blend with other species. Gems with the highest spessartite content are a light orange. Those with an almandine content are reddish, to red brown in hue.
Spessartite Value
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Spessartite Information
| Data | Value |
| Name | Spessartite |
| Is a Variety of | Garnet |
| Varieties | Mandarin Garnet |
| Crystallography | Isometric |
| Refractive Index | 1.79 - 1.83 |
| Hardness | 7 - 7.5 |
| Specific Gravity | 3.80 - 4.25. Gems usually 4.12-4.20. |
| Cleavage | None |
| Dispersion | 0.027 |
| Heat Sensitivity | Some |
| Luminescence | None |
| Spectral | The Mn spectrum is evident: lines at 4950, 4850, 4620 (all weak) and strong lines at 4320, 4240 (weaker), and 4120 (intense). Almandine may be present, contributing lines at 4320 and 4120. |
| Wearability | Good |
| Formula | Mn3Al2Si3O12 |
This garnet is named after Spessart, Bavaria.
Spessartite is somewhat rare. As with the other garnets, it always occurs in a blend with other species. Gems with the highest spessartite content are a light orange. Those with an almandine content are reddish, to red brown in hue.
In granite pegmatites; also gneiss, quartzite and rhyolite, and sometimes as a component in skarns.
Nevada; Colorado; New Mexico; Pennsvlvania; North Carolina.
San Diego County, California: good crystals, especially at Ramona (fine orange gems).
Amelia Court House, Virginia: fine orange to deep brownish material, gemmy.
Norway; Tsializina. Madagascar
Sri Lanka and Burma: in the gem gravels.
Brazil (Arassuahy and Ceara): large crystals (up to several pounds), gemmy, fine color.
The most valuable spessarties are a bright, orangish red. These come from Ramona, California, and Amelia, Virginia..
Gems weighing more than 100 carats have been cut from Brazilian and Madagascar rough. Amelia stones are fine color (orange) but small, up to about 15-20 carats, although crystals weighing several pounds have been found there.
Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C): 109 (red, Brazil); 53.8 (red, Brazil); 40.1 (orange, Virginia). American Museum of Natural History (New York): 96 (reddish, Brazil—not clean).
Spessartine is fairly rare as a gem garnet, and one of the most beautiful. Large stones are very rare, and usually quite dark. The finest color is an orangy red, as exemplified by the material from Ramona, California, and Amelia, Virginia. A red-brown tint indicates a higher content of almandine, accompanied by higher refractive index; pale orange colors are closer to pure spessartine. Spessartine as a component of almandine tends to add a lively reddish tinge of color.
Spessartine is fairly rare as a gem garnet, and one of the most beautiful. Large stones are very rare, and usually quite dark. The finest color is an orangy red, as exemplified by the material from Ramona, California, and Amelia, Virginia. A red-brown tint indicates a higher content of almandine, accompanied by higher refractive index; pale orange colors are closer to pure spessartine. Spessartine as a component of almandine tends to add a lively reddish tinge of color.
Unusual color-change garnets with large amounts of V and Cr have been reported from East Africa. These are primarily spessartine, with an unusually large component of grossular. The color change may be as follows:
1. greenish yellow-brown (transmitted fluorescent light) to purplish red (reflected fluorescent); reddish orange to red (incandescent light) N= 1.773, S.G.= 3.98; spessartine/grossular/almandine.
2. light bluish green (transmitted fluorescent) to purple (reflected); light red to purplish red (incandescent) N= 1.763, S.G. = 3.89; spessartine/grossular/pyrope.
So-called alexandrite-like garnets have also been noted, changing from violet-red to blue-green. These are usually small, but a stone of 24.87 carats was sold in 1979.
OPTICS:
N= 1.79-1.81;
1.803-1.805 (Brazil).
1.795 (Amelia, Virginia).
INCLUSIONS: Wavy feathers, due to liquid drops that have a shredded look, especially in gems from Sri Lanka and Brazil.
