Garnet (ex Bill Larson Collection)

Item Description

This piece unfortunately doesn't have any detailed information regarding its origin or even the exact species of Garnet. It's hard to say based upon appearance, but I would guess this could be Almandine or Andradite, but it's impossible to know for certain without analysis. The label on the base for the specimen only says it's from Pala, so that doesn't help narrow it down. With that said, it's a fantastic, textbook dodecahedron with minor trapezohedral modifications on the edges. The piece is complete on all sides, with only a tiny bit of attached feldspar and mica on the back. The color is a very dark brown-red hue. A very fine quality representative Garnet crystal from Pala, and if anybody out there has some insight as to specifically where this might have originated, please feel free to reach out and let us know. From the collection of Bill Larson of Fallbrook, California. Bill is a well-known gem and mineral dealer as well as a miner and collector. Bill is synonymous with minerals of San Diego County, and owned and operated famous mines such as the Stewart Lithia, the Tourmaline Queen, the Pala Chief and the Himalaya, producing some of the most iconic mineral specimens to come out of the area during the 1970s-1980s. Bill is also known as "Burma Bill" and traveled the world for decades in search of fine gems and minerals, and was directly involved in the in-person acquisition and importation of superb specimens and stones from Myanmar (Burma). You can read his biography at https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/larsonwilliam-f/