Andradite Garnet with Epidote

Item Description

Typically, one encounters pegmatite minerals (Tourmaline, Spodumene, etc.) on the market from the Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan but the specimens from Marki Khel are actually from a metamorphic skarn. The typical species from this locality are Epidote, Diopside, Magnetite and Andradite Garnet. Unlike their cousins from Pakistan, these pieces feature a different style of Epidote, and Garnets are typically not seen from places like Alchuri or Tormiq. This piece hosts dozens of sharp, lustrous, golden (more green in different lighting), gemmy, well-formed compressed crystals of Epidote with minor dodecahedral crystals of Andradite on matrix. The largest Epidote measures 6 mm across, and most of them are damage free, and the largest Andradite measures about 5 mm. An attractive specimen from this interesting occurrence in Afghanistan, best viewed up close under magnification.