Common
Associations: |
Biotite,
Cordierite, Chlorite, Staurolite, Andalusite, Kyanite,
Sillimanite, Hematite, Plagioclase, Amphibole, Pyroxene
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Almandine
is a member of the Garnet Group of minerals that includes
Almandine, Andradite, Grossular, Pyrope, Spessartine
and Uvarovite.
Almandine is the most common variety of Garnet. Almandine
always contain some Spessartine and Pyrope components
which creates a wide range of colors including brown,
red-brown, purplish red, wine red, purple and deep red.
Almandine is the iron aluminum garnet.
Pure Almandine and pure Pyrope are rare in nature and most specimens are
a percentage of the two.
Silky inclusions may be present in many Almandine gems that is only visible
under magnification. However, material from Idaho, USA
and India is known to contain inclusions of asbestiform
minerals such as pyroxene and amphibole which create
a chatoyancy that produces a 4-rayed star.
Almandine, like other varieties
of Garnet, forms rounded crystals with 12 rhombic or
24 trapezoidal faces or combinations of these and some other forms.
This crystal habit is classic for the Garnet Group of minerals.
Almandine was named for Alabanda in Turkey, an ancient gem cutting center.
Distribution:
Widespread. Some localities for fine crystals include:
in the Zillertal, Tirol, Austria. At Falun, Sweden.
In Norway, from near Bod¿. From the Akhmatovsk deposit,
near Zlatoust, Ural Mountains, Russia. In the USA, from
Roxbury, Litchfield County, and Southbury, New Haven
County, Connecticut; at Auburn, Androscoggin County,
and Topsham, Sagadahoc County, Maine; from Westfield
and Russell, Hampden County, Massachusetts; and at Hanover,
Grafton County, New Hampshire. From Avondale, Chester
County, Pennsylvania; a large commercial deposit at
the Barton mine, North Creek, Warren County, New York;
at Michigamme, Marquette County, Michigan; from Salida,
Chaffee County, Colorado; and at Ft. Wrangell, Stikine
River, Alaska. In Brazil, at Pernambuco, Bahia. From
the Miami district, Zimbabwe. At Broken Hill and Thackaringa,
New South Wales, and in the Harts Range, Northern Territory,
Australia. From Yamanoo, Ibaragi Prefecture, and the
Ishikawa district, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
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