Almandine Garnet (classic material) (large specimen)

Item Description

An impressive large cabinet display specimen from one of the most iconic mineral localities in Alaska.  Wrangell Island lies in the far southeastern part of the state, and for many years was the source of some of the most iconic Garnets from any world locality.  Not only are these Almandine specimens well-known among collectors, (you can find them in countless old collections and museums around the world), but they are now high in demand since very little material has been collected over the last few decades.  They seemed to have all but disappeared from the market in recent years.  They are nearly as red as any species of Garnet gets, and they are often feature good sized crystals on slivery-grey Biotite matrix.  This specimen hosts several well-formed, dodecahedral crystals (with trapezohedral modifications) which are aesthetically perched atop the contrasting, almost metallic schist matrix. The crystals are quite sharp for the locality, and show a gorgeous deep wine red color when backlit.  A beautiful and displayable specimen of this famous material.  You never see pieces of this size on the market, and there are ZERO repairs, which is significant, and these crystals can sometimes "pop" out of the matrix, so when you find such an impressive big showy example like this in such fine quality, it's truly significant.  From the collection of Brian Kosnar.  I value this one in the $3,500 range for size, quality, aesthetics and overall visual impact.