Spessartine Garnet on Muscovite

Item Description

These soon to be classic Spessartines are some of the most attractive and highly displayable specimens to come out of any Chinese locality. This small cabinet piece features dozens of lustrous, gemmy, strong orange dodecahedral /trapezohedral crystals of Spessartine measuring up to a few mm which are sitting atop a notably thick and well-formed group of Muscovite mica which measures 4.1 cm across, sitting on cream colored Microcline crystal matrix. The color in the Spessartine crystals is very attractive, and they are not at all dull or pitted. In my experience, it is difficult to find a "band" Spessartine crystals on Muscovite from this locality. This material is becoming less and less available on the market, and keep in mind that there are only a few worldwide localities that produce this color of Spessartine in fine specimens. Gem orange Spessartine specimens are NOT easy to find these days from any locality. From the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Collection #18147CL, and the catalogue entry for the piece states that it was exported from China and imported into the United States by The Rocksmiths, and was purchased by Chet on February 8, 2001 (TGMS Show). Chet was born 1947 in started collecting minerals circa 1957. He worked briefly as a drill runner at the famous Sterling Mine, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey and from 1987 to 1990 he helped convert the mine into a public access mining museum. He has held the role of treasurer, vice president and president of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (FOMS), and has been a board member and vice president of the Franklin Mineral Museum. The rare copper arsenate, Lemanskiite was named in his honor in 1999.