As members of the garnet group, spessartites are noteworthy for their high refractive index and radiant brilliance. And while gemologists usually refer to them as Spessartites, the trade name “Mandarin Garnet” has also been adopted for the bright orangey Fanta like colors. The orange color is due to the presence of Manganese.
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| Known Facts |
| Color Key: |
Orange, yellow, brown |
| Refractive Index: |
1.79-1.81 |
| Chemical Composition: |
Mn3Al2(SiO4)3 |
| Hardness: |
7.25 |
| Density: |
4.14-4.20 |
| Crystal Group: |
Cubic |
| Ocurrence: |
Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Germany, Ceylon, Burma, Nigeria, Madagascar. |
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Spessartite has always been a rare stone. Recent discoveries in Namibia, Mozambique, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, and Tanzania led to an increase in production but pockets of clean material have proven to be illusive. Although the output was significant, the percentage of fine material in larger sizes has always been small. |
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