Grossular Garnet (ex Al Kidwell Collection)

Item Description

A large single crystal of Grossular Garnet. Unfortunately the label has been damaged, so it's hard to determine exactly where it's from, the only legible words are Chihuahua, Mexico. This "floater" crystal is sharp, well-formed, dodecahedral crystal with a few smaller, secondary dodecahedrons flaring off the side. All of the faces are rather sharp, smooth and lustrous. You almost never see crystals of Garnet over 2 inches in diameter from anywhere, so crystal of this size and quality is a big deal. The color is best described as a soft "sandy" hue, and it almost has a slightly sparkly sand-like reflective quality just below the surface of the crystal faces when the piece is rotated in the light. A very worthwhile Garnet crystal for any fan of worldwide Garnets or minerals of Mexico. Priced at $1,200 in our inventory. From the worldwide mineral collection of Albert Lewis Kidwell (January 1, 1919 - August 16, 2008). Al was a well-known mineral collector and research geologist with Carter Oil Company and later Exxon Oil Company in Houston, Texas. The phosphate species Kidwellite was named in his honor in 1974.