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Spessartine

This member of the Garnet Group is named for its type locality at Spessart in Bavaria, Germany. Spessatine is a common mineral in granite pegmatites, granite, and rhyolite and is also formed in some skarn and manganese-bearing rocks near igneous intrusions. Hundreds of localities.
Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/spessartine.pdf
- Formula
- Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3
- Crystal System
- Isometric
- Crystal Habit
- Massive, Crystalline - Fine, Lamellar
- Cleavage
- Distinct, None, None
- Luster
- Vitreous - Resinous
- Color
- red, reddish orange, yellowish brown, reddish brown, brown
- Streak
- white
- Class
- Isometric - Hexoctahedral
- Fracture
- Sub Conchoidal
- Hardness
- 6.5-7.5
- WebMineral
- View Spessartine
- Mindat
- View Spessartine
Spessartine from Tongbei, Fujian prov., China

Glassy tranlucent, exceptional crystal of Spessartine to 3.5mm.
Spessartine garnet crystals to 2mm, some to 3mm on light creamy colored Microcline.
Spessartine from Longchuan Co., Heyuan, Guangdong prov., China

Glassy orange Spessartine Garnet crystals to 3mm and stubby dark smoky Quartz crystal points to over 1cm on a piece of altered Feldspar matrix.
Spessartine from Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia

Cherry red to orange, gemmy, Spessartine garnet showing good form with Galena.
Spessartine from Edna Lake, Boise Co., Idaho, United States
A sweet specimen with an excellent 6mm Spessartine crystal with smoky Quartz to 1cm on Albite.
Spessartine from Camp Lake, Elmore Co., Idaho, United States
1-3mm deep red, excellent Spessartine crystal on Albite and Microcline matrix. Collected by Chris van Laer.
Spessartine from Little Three mine, San Diego Co., California, United States
Deep, rich orange Spessartine showing several faces and a rough, but unbroken backside.
Matrix specimen: Intense orange, gem and very lustrous, well formed Spessartine crystal to 1.3cm attached to Albite. This specimen was collected approximately in 1986.
Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine mine, Tongbei, Zhangzhou, Fujian, China
Sweet miniature specimen with orange Spessatine garnets to 3mm on smoky Quartz (3cm) and Albite matrix.
Spessartine from Pacococha, Huarochiri, Lima Dept., Peru
Unique specimen loaded with 1mm and less shiny and iridescent pyritohedrons with clusters of Spessartine crystals.