Andradite Garnet (var: Demantoid)

Item Description

Demantoid Garnets are beloved for their beautiful color, but good crystallized specimen are not seen very often on the market. The old Russian material was the first Demantoid ever discovered, but crystals are virtually impossible to find. Later in the Italian Alps, more Demantoids were found, which still rank as arguably the best crystallized examples out there. Around 2009, some fine Demantoid specimens were found in Madagascar, but have all dried up and disappeared from the market. This particular specimen is from a lesser known discovery in Afghanistan, and is a very good example of said material. Before I obtained this lot, I had only seen a handful of these specimens over the years, and I always keep an eye out at for them. This piece features one particularly good sized (9 mm) crystal with textbook dodecahedral form, mirror bright faces, and a saturated bluish-green color associated with additional translucent, crystals of Demantoid on Chrysotile and schist matrix. I have to stress that most crystals from this locality measure about 3-4 mm, so a 9 mm crystal is a HUGE leap in size! There are some contacts, so the piece is not 100% pristine, but the color and glistening luster of the main crystal almost make up for it in my mind. PLEASE NOTE that these crystals show a color change from a "mint green" color to a very rich "lime green" hue in different lighting. Under halogen lights, the crystals appear more pastel, but under mercury bulbs, the color is very intense ! If you're a fan of Garnet, do not miss out on this one, as it came from an old stash that we uncovered here, and was honestly mined nearly 10 years ago. Good matrix specimens of this attractive green Garnet variety are seldom seen these days.