Garnet Var. Spessartine w/ Quartz

This unique Garnet was first mined in 2003. I was in Brazil at the time and got to see most of the entire find. Not often seen were associations with Apatite, and boytroidal opal. The garnets formed in large domes of Clevelandite. They were typially loose inside their pockets. Often refferred to as "etched," I favor the articles that instead reveal the parrallel growth crystallization as a unique phenomenon and that they are not etched by natural exposure to acids in the pocket. This peice comes from the Hawthorneden inventory.

This large example has a deep, rich Red, not brown color (I used a light box to show its internal color). It weighs 46.4 grams. It has two micro dings, but do not catch the eye whatsoever (it doesn't disrupt the overall form at all either). It also has a small little quartz crystal attached to it.