Spessartine

Nani, (approximately 10 km SW of the Kenya border), near the village of Lemisikio, (approximately 30 km E of the Serengeti Nation Park), 35 km NE of Loliondo proper, Arusha Region, Tanzania
Thumbnail, 1.1 x 1.0 x 0.8 cm
Start Time: 03/17/2011 6:45:00 pm (CDT)
End Time: 03/24/2011 6:45:00 pm (CDT)
Auction Closed

Item Description

From the recent discovery in Tanzania, the best of these crystals are some of the largest orange Spessartine crystals extant! The strong color is a sure sign that the area was incredibly rich in Manganese, as Spessartines can range in color from red (Iron-rich) to orange (Manganese-rich). This particular pieces is an excellent, sharp, gemmy trapezohedral group with good form and rich orange color. The back of the crystal is contacted, but when its backlit, the color is intense! A nice thumbnail specimen to add to any collection. I do not know if more of these specimens will be coming out of the ground as I have seen very few of them at shows recently.

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