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Spessartine
The gem variety of spessartine garnet is uncommor
tends to be midway between spessartine and almandinc composition.
Appearance The "aurora red," orange-red
or oran.. pink color is typical. It has good transparency
and cons erable luster. It is normally given a mixed, round,
or c cut. The weight does not normally exceed a few car Gems
of about 10 carats are extremely rare and usual 1,, an atypical,
rather dark, unattractive color.
Distinctive features The color, single retraction,
a luster are useful means of identification, but the phys
properties have to be measured to distinguish it, for stance,
from some hessonite garnets. Examination of absorption spectrum
can be very useful; where clearly ble, which is not always
the case, it is distinctive.
Occurrence Spessartine is extracted
from the gem gr els of Sri Lanka and Burma. It is also found
in the Un States (Virginia and California), Brazil, and Madagas:
Value Its
value is a bit higher than
pyrope and alrr dine, about the same as rhodolite. It is not
often founc the market.
Simulants and synthetics It is neither imitated
nor r duced synthetically.
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