Garnets are a common mineral found in many metamorphic rocks. It is also sometimes found in pegmatites dikes and as grains in sedimentary deposits. The name garnet comes from the Latin word granatus which means "like a grain" in reference to the crystal form. There are many types of garnets as the chemistry varies widely. The name spessartine comes from the locality of Spessart, Germany. Spessartines are often brownish or brown-red. The other types of garnets are: andradite, grossular, pyrope, almandine, and uvarovite
| Fe3Al2Si3O12 |
|
| Nesosilicate |
|
| Isometric |
|
| 4/m -3 2/m |
|
| 6.5-7.5 |
|
| 4.32 |
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| None |
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| Conchoidal |
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| Red or brownish-red |
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| White |
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| Vitreous, resinous |
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| Transparent/translucent |
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| Granular |
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| Notable Localities: |
Wrangel, Alaska; Germany; Norway; India |
| Uses: |
Cut as a gemstone, abrasives |
Specimens:
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