SPESSARTINE GARNET

Spessartine garnet, known for its orange to red hues, is a manganese-rich garnet that is named after Germany's Spessart Mountains. Spessartine is considered a nesosilicate, manganese aluminum garnet species, with a chemical formula of Mn₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃. Source localities for the material include the United States, Brazil, Australia, India, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Myanmar. Highly prized spessartines from Madagascar, called “Mandarin Garnet”, often display a fiery orange-yellow coloration; whereas, violet-red colored spessartines can be found within rhyolites in Colorado and Maine, USA. Another highly sought after variation of spessartine garnet comes from Brazil, where their unusually dark red color is often accompanied by beautiful etchings on the surface of the crystal. These etchings form after the initial crystal growth, where acidic or mineral-rich hot waters interact with the spessartine, dissolving certain crystal planes more easily than others. The resulting etchings often display intricate surface patterns like mazes, geometric shapes, or striations.

GARNET

Garnets are a group of silicate minerals that have been used as gemstones and abrasives since the Bronze Age. All species of garnets possess similar physical characteristics and crystal formations, but differ in their chemical compositions. Garnet species are found in every color, with red to black shades being the most common; Whereas, a 1990 Madagascan discovery of color changing blue garnets are considered some of the rarest. The color shifting blue to green garnets gain this ability from elevated amounts of vanadium that is present within its composition.

The different species of garnet are andradite, pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular, and uvarovite. Garnets are most often found in the dodecahedral crystal habit, but are also commonly found in the trapezohedron habit as well as the hexoctahedral habit. Because the chemical composition of garnet varies from species to species, the atomic bonds in certain examples are stronger than in others. As a result, the garnet mineral group shows a Mohs hardness range of about 6 to 7.5.

GARNET HISTORY

The word garnet comes from the 14th-century Middle English word gernet, meaning 'dark red'. It is also associated with the Latin word granatus, from granum, which is translated to 'grain, or seed'. This could be in reference to the plant ‘pomum granatum’, or pomegranate, which is a plant whose fruits contain plentiful and vivid red seed covers, called arils. They are similar in shape, size, and color to common garnet crystals, alluding to the possibility of its early association and distinction. Red garnets were the most commonly used gemstones during the Antique Roman world, as well as in the Migration Period art and jewelry of the "barbarian" groups who took over the territories of the Western Roman Empire. The gems were often inlaid within finely crafted gold jewelry using the cloisonné technique, and a style simply called “garnet cloisonné” became increasingly popular. Innumerable shipments of gold, silver and red garnet gems and jewelry were imported and exported from Rome, Greece, and certain parts of the Middle East; additionally, recent findings such as the Staffordshire Hoard and the pendant of the Winfarthing Woman of Norfolk confirm an established gem trade route with South India and Tamraparni, which is now called Sri Lanka.

Pure crystals of garnet are still commonly used as gemstones today. In the United States it is known as the birthstone for January, and is the state mineral of Connecticut, as well as New York's state gemstone. Furthermore, a complex and included variety called “star garnet”, which is garnet with rutile asterisms, is the state gemstone of Idaho.

GARNET INDUSTRIAL USES

Garnet sand is an extremely good abrasive, and a common replacement for silica sand within industrial use for sand blasting. Alluvial garnet grains, which are rounder, tend to be much more suitable for such blasting treatments. Mixed with high-pressure water, garnet can also be used to cut steel and other materials when used in water jets. Unlike alluvial garnets, water jet applications often require garnets with much harder impact ratios, where crystallin faces of the garnet are more distinct in their structure, providing more friction and cutting power. Additionally, it is quite often used as an abrasive in sand paper for un-finished woodworking and cabinetry creation. Adding to the extensive list of common applications, it is also used in many multi-step water filtration systems. Today, the largest source of abrasive alluvial garnet is found within garnet-rich beach sand, which is extensively abundant on the Indian and Australian coasts, from where it is most commonly resourced. For the purpose of grinding aggregate and water jet applications, the United States is considered a primary exporter. Rock Garnet, which is often the term used for harder, more abrasive garnet, is first crushed in a mill, then wind-blown and magnetically separated before being applied to and used within its industrial function.

SPESSARTINE GARNET METAPHYSICS

Metaphysically, spessartine garnet is said to facilitate the grounding, stabilizing, and protective frequencies of the Root and Sacral Chakras. Spessartine is considered a stone of regeneration and vitality, as such it is said to aid in facilitating positive energy and inspiring change. A productive stone of the Sacral Chakra, it is widely considered a crystal of desire and romance, bringing its wearer abundant opportunities for interactions of Love and promiscuity. Furthermore, it is said to aid the libido by facilitating healthy blood flow to the reproductive organs. Additionally, spessartine garnet is considered a stone of order and functionality, providing positive direction and a firm foothold for building on one’s passions and reaching the soul’s purpose. Physically, spessartine garnet is said to aid the body with assimilation of calcium, magnesium, and iron; as well as assisting the heart and lungs. It is also said that spessartine can aid the body with spinal injury and metabolism disorder.