Spessartine on Quartz (ex Rolando Gioia Collection)

Item Description

A very attractive, classic Spessartine from Navegadora featuring an incredibly sharp, lustrous, heavily striated and skeletal, dodecahedral crystal sitting on Quartz matrix. The color is a rich red when viewed with reflected light, but through transmitted light, it exhibits a lighter red-orange tone. The Spessartine measures 8 mm across, and these crystals are rarely seen on matrix. These specimens seemed to have "dried up" on the market recently, and its a shame because they are simply some of the most unique and distinctive Garnet crystals extant. The combination of unique form, lustrous faces, and intense color make these specimens a must-have for any Garnet collector. From the collection of Rolando Gioia (a contributor to new definitive book on Brazilian minerals: "Minerais e Pedras Preciosas do Brasil").