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Garnet

GARNET Left - Two faceted garnets from Butcherknife Draw, southwestern Wyoming. Such garnets are often found associated with diamond deposits and have been nick-named 'Cape Ruby' from their type locality in kimberlite near Cape Town, South Africa. Garnet is a common accessory mineral in many schists and gneisses and other metamorphic rocks. Garnets typically range from millimeter-size to single crystals of 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Many Colorado and Wyoming garnets are purplish-red, yellow-orange or reddish-brown in color and the largest are found in kimberlite in the State Line district south of Laramie and on the Oldman property southwest of Encampment. Six pure end-member subspecies are recognized according to Hausel (2009) and Hausel and Sutherland (2000). These vary in color, specific gravity, chemistry, and index of refraction and include pyrope [Mg3Al2(SiO4)3], almandine [Fe3Al2(SiO4)3], spessartine [Mn3Al2(SiO4)3], grossularite [Ca3Al2(SiO4)3], andradite [Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3] and uvarovite [Ca3Cr2(SiO4)3]. Hybrid Garnets. Calderite: Mn3Fe3+2(SiO4)3 Goldmanite: Ca3V2(SiO4)3 Hydrogrossular: Ca3Al2(SiO4)3-x(OH)4x Hibschite: Ca3Al2(SiO4)3-x(OH)4x (where x = 0.2 to 1.5) Katoite: Ca3Al2(SiO4)3-x(OH)4x (where x > 1.5) Kimzeyite: Ca3(Zr,Ti)2[(Si,Al,Fe3+)O4]3 Knorringite: Mg3Cr2(SiO4)3 Majorite: Mg3(Fe,Al,Si)2(SiO4)3. Morimotoite: Ca3Ti4+Fe2+(SiO4)3 Schorlomite: Ca3(Ti4+,Fe3+)2[(Si,Ti)O4]3 Garnets have relatively high specific gravity (3.5 to 4.3) and hardness (6.5 to 7.5). The specific gravity results in garnets showing up in heavy black sand concentrates in stream deposits. Garnets crystallize in the isometric crystal system, have no cleavage and may show parting. Garnets are used for abrasives; although, excellent museum quality garnets are often found. Some transparent to translucent garnets are used as semiprecious gemstones.

Occurrence. Garnet is a common mineral in many metamorphic environments, particularly where the rocks have been metamorphosed to yomingites grade facies and are aluminum-rich. Such rocks typically contain abundant black mica and may also have amphibole with porphyroblasts of garnet. Localities. A number of garnet localities are reported. These include garnet from the Teton Mountains near Jackson, Wyoming and from the Sierra Madre near Encampment, Wyoming. These latter garnets exhibit excellent crystal form and completely to nearly completely replaced by chlorite mica. Some excellent 3 to 4-inch diameter crystals have been collected from chlorite schist at the Oldman prospect (NE section 14, T14N, R84W). The deposit located south of Encampment along the Copper Creek road, forms a narrow schist (<10 feet wide) on both sides of the road about 1/2 mile south of the Oldman Ranch. The garnet-chlorite-schist crops out over a distance of approximately 2,000 feet, and has large garnets. Some extraordinary pyrope-almandine garnet megacrysts have been found in kimberlite in the State Line district (T12N-10N, R72W). Most are rounded and some are as large as 5 inches across. Hundreds of rounded pyrope and almandine garnets have been found in breccia pipes in the Greater Green River Basin near Cedar Mountain, and in anthills near Butcherknife Draw. These are small, transparent, pyrope and pyrope-almandine garnets (typically less than 8 mm in diameter) that are found in anthills in association with emerald-green chromian diopside and chromian enstatite. Some collectors have faceted some of these stones, producing attractive emerald-green, yellow-orange, and reddish-purple gems. A few diamonds have been found in the area as well as in some anthills. Similar garnets are found in anthills in the Bighorn basin north of Thermopolis.

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retiredoldfogee

How do I tell the difference between Garnet and Peridot rough?

Feb 12 2009, 1:26 PM EST by retiredoldfogee

Thread started: Feb 11 2009, 6:13 PM EST Watch

Hello All,

How can a person tell the difference between green Peridot, and Green Garnet rough?

Thanks,

Aaron

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RE: How do I tell the difference between Garnet and Peridot rough?
By: retiredoldfogee, Feb 12 2009, 1:26 PM EST

"Hi Bill,

I am assuming you may be referring to the actinolite green crystals? I sent you a very small chunk of massive grossular garnet (hydrogrossular) it is white with almost neon green colored spots (chromium). I have never seen any large crystals in massive grossular garnet, however, I have been told it does actually come with some large spots. I was surprised when I held a strong light up to the white part of the rock it was translucent. Massive Grossular Garnet can pretty easily be found for carving pieces and its fairly simple to find if you know what to look for at deer creek, and it comes in large pieces between as much as 100lbs to small stones. Although, large garnet crystals are not likely to be found in that area there are a few areas further east that have decent sized green garnets, and of course Vesper Peak, my goal this year in the 70's was known to have some of the world's best maroon/red.orange/brown grossular garnet crystals. Very large crystals up to close to an inch in matrix. There is a scarn area there that apparently a couple hundred yard stretch has those garnets in the rock, and they can be panned as well.

If you want a large piece of the massive grossular garnet let me know.

Thanks,

Aaron"

The following are photos of Vesper Peak Garnet on mindat.org:
http://www.mindat.org/gallery.php?min=1755&loc=15036

Massive Grossular Garnet (Hydrogrossular) is also known as Transvaal Jade. In theory there could be crystals at the source, however, I have no idea where the source is. The following washingtonjade.com page has a picture of some massive grossular garnet that is the exact same kind that is found in deer creek at the following URL (upper right hand corner photo - it also explains the complexities of jade hunting the area at the bottom of the page):
http://washingtonjade.com/_mgxroot/page_10784.html

Thanks,

Aaron

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