Grossular Garnet (BIG crystals! - rare locality) (ex Bob Reynolds Collection)

Item Description

This is the first specimen of Grossular that we've ever had to offer from this iron mine in Mexico which according to mindat.org, "contains 39% of iron ore reserves in Mexico in open pits". Not only is piece from a rare locality, but it features several LARGE euhedral crystals! Despite the fact that Garnets are fairly common around the world, most of the crystals you'll see rarely exceed 1 or 2 cm, but the crystals on this specimen measure up to a whopping 5.6 cm across! The importance of the size is escalated by the fact that the crystals are incredibly well-formed, sharp, lustrous, and not distorted, etched or imperfect in any way. The habit is predominantly dodecahedral (rhombic) but if you look at the edges, you'll see beautiful thin trapezohedral modifications, which is a hallmark style for Garnet of various species. There are also dozens of smaller secondary Grossulars overgrowing the larger crystals of the same habit. The crystals are mostly opaque, but with good backlighting on the edges, you can see the color is a dark reddish-brown hue, and in certain light there is more of a golden tone, along with minor areas of greenish shades as well. Overall the piece is in fine condition, it's not completely damage free on the front / display side, as I can see a few small imperfections, but on the whole, it's really in great shape. The back is partially contacted / incomplete where it was removed from the pocket wall, but you can't see it when the piece is displayed. One of the more impressive and unique Mexican Garnets that has come our way. If you collect worldwide Garnets or Mexican minerals, this piece is a MUST HAVE for the simple fact that we've never seen one like it from the locale, and even if it was from a famous locality, the quality is still fantastic! Priced in the inventory at $2,500. From the collection of Robert (Bob) Reynolds who passed in August of 2020. Bob was a well-known fossil and mineral expert and former Curator of Earth Sciences at the San Bernardino County Museum in California. The rare phyllomanganate-chromate species Reynoldsite was named in his honor in 2011.