Andradite Garnet (Geode / "Coconut") (new find)

Item Description

We recently acquired a very small parcel of these new an interesting Andradite Garnets from a good friend in Peru. We're told that they're coming from the Pampa Blanca District, but we don't have 100% confirmation on the locality. The locals call these specimens "coconuts" as they form in hollow geode-shaped "spheres", which are cracked open to reveal multiple generations / layers of different colored Garnet. The exterior of the piece shows a dark reddish-brown hue with sharp trapezohedral crystals, but the broken edges of the piece show multi-layered banding which range from reddish-brown to green to golden. Minor Quartz and Epidote can be seen on the exterior of the piece. This one actually has a bit of attached matrix, which is unusual for the material in my experience. The largest single Garnet on the exterior measures a full 5.2 cm across. Several crystals are complete, though you can see they are contacted along the periphery where the piece was removed from the pocket wall. A very cool and unusual Garnet specimen that would make a great addition a Garnet suite, a Peruvian collection or a collection of mineral oddities. Valued at $800.