Grossular Garnet (unusual color) (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

Jeffrey Mine Grossulars are among the world's finest. While the great classic examples show a rich cinnamon-orange color, there are other fine Grossulars from Jeffrey in rare sporadic pockets that may have greenish or pink, or even no color. This specimen is a noteworthy piece as it features somewhat "milky" translucent trapezohedral crystals measuring up to 6 mm with sharp, lustrous faces sitting on a thin layer of matrix. If you look closely, the crystals have a light peach color, while some are nearly white or colorless. The label states that a certain chatoyance can be seen, and if you look at the piece in the right light, you can definitely see it. Overall this is an interesting thumbnail, if a little unusual, for this amazing (now closed) mine and the species. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#5972). 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).