Andradite Garnet (new find)

Item Description

This piece hails from a new find in 2021 in Afghanistan. These pieces are certainly some of the most exciting Garnet crystals to come from any locality in the entire country. They are certainly different from the older Andradite Garnet (var: Demantoid) that started coming out in the early 2000s, as the color is lighter, and I don't know if you can really call them Demantoid, they might just be classified as Andradite. This toenail sized specimen hosts a predominant, sharp, lustrous, dodecahedral crystal of a gentle green color measuring 2.4 cm sitting on Quartz matrix. The crystal has a few minor rough spots around the edges, so it's not completely perfect - hence the auction listing - but the faces reflect like mirrors, which combined with the impressive size, make it one of the better Garnets we've had to offer from the locality. If you're a Garnet collector, or a fan of minerals from Afghanistan, this is a worthwhile piece to add to your collection.