Grossular Garnet (var: Tsavorite) (BIG crystal!)

Item Description

Tsavorite is a vanadium / chromium - bearing variety of Grossular Garnet, first reported from the Tsavo National Park in Kenya. Most people are probably familiar with Tsavorite as a faceted gem, and crystals are not terribly common on the market. When one does encounter a crystal, they typically measure in the 1 cm range, maybe a bit bigger in some cases. This piece is a LARGE example of the material as it nearly measures a full 2 inches(!). The crystal is not gem quality (which is the only reason it survived as is, because if it was transparent it surely would have been faceted into a gemstone), but it still has that classic green color, and features several broad dodecahedral crystal faces. The piece is not complete, as it's contacted in several spots, and has a bit of embedded Graphite, but it's still a very impressive example of this classic, desirable and valuable material. Most Garnet species are almost never found in crystals this size, so a big Tsavorite is a big deal. Valued at $2,000. From the collection of Vasco Trancoso, a medical doctor and prominent mineral collector from near Lisbon, Portugal (https://www.mindat.org/user-11954.html). He assembled his mineral collection over the course of 60 years, and built a fine worldwide display collection that we recently purchased. This piece is pictured on mindat.org at https://www.mindat.org/photo-211882.html