PYROPE
Specimen pyo-4

Dims:3.4x2.8x0.7" (8.6x7.1x1.8 cm)

Wt: 5.4oz. (153g)

N'Chwanning Mine, Kuruman, S. Africa

This is one of the best cabinet-sized specimens of pyrope garnet that I have ever seen. A rich crust of dodecahedral crystals covers this specimen. These crystals grow to 0.1" (0.3cm) in size, and, when held up to a bright light and examined with a loupe, are faintly translucent. The back of the specimen is also covered with pyrope crystals, although these are very tiny. Good crystals of pyrope are very difficult to find, and this is a wonderful specimen.

Dims:1.9x0.9x0.7" (4.8x2.3x1.8 cm)

Wt: 1.6oz. (43g)

Almklov, Norway

This specimen consists of several shattered pyrope garnet crystals in an olivene matrix. These crystals range in size from tiny to 0.2" (0.5cm). The largest crystal shows good conchoidal fracture on one surface. All of the crystals are too damaged to identify the characteristic isometric form.

Dims: 4.2x3.7x3.0" (10.6x9.3x7.6 cm)

Wt: 54.5 oz. (1.54kg)

San Valerio, Tocantins, Brazil

This is a pair of huge rhodolite garnets. Possibly it started as a single large crystal which broke and healed, or perhaps it is two rhodolite garnets that grew together. I suspect that it is one garnet that split, based upon the size similarity and that the crystal faces are roughly aligned. In any case, this appears as a nodule with two halves. The halves are slightly concave - they do not meet in the center, only around the edges. Also, while it is easy to count the 12 faces of the pair, these crystals appear rather distorted and weathered, with deep fissures all over the surface. The crystals have a deep burgandy color, and the thin sections along the fissures are transparent. The crystals have a good luster, with the thousands of crystal points all reflecting at once. The only human damage is apparent as dark, vitreous fractures revealing the true internal color of the specimen.

Dims: 2.7x1.6x1.5" (6.9x4.1x3.9cm)

Wt: 7.1oz. (202g)

Minas Gerias, Brazil

This is two red pyrope garnet crystals in a small amount of silvery mica schist. The garnet crystals are rather warped in shape (the smaller was broken, apparently before the mica overgrowth). The largest crystal measures 4.2cm along its largest visible dimension.