Andradite (var: Melanite) (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

A classic specimen of the beautiful and rarely seen black "Melanite" Garnets from San Benito County, California. At one time, Melanite was considered a separate species, but it is now defined as a black variety of Andradite that contains titanium. This attractive display specimen features very sharp, highly lustrous, well-formed, dodecahedral crystals intergrown on matrix. The largest crystal measures 3 mm across. Garnet is is one of those minerals that occurs in wide array of colors, but black crystals are honestly fairly hard to find. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#495). Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien Welt" November-December 2017).