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Garnet, Its name comes from
Latin granatus meaning seed, because it often resembles small
round seeds when found in its matrix rock.
Rather than a single gemstone, garnet is a family of related minerals,
some of which occur as gemstones.
Each has a common crystal structure, and a similar chemical composition.
Two Families of Garnet
There are two main theoretical groups or "families" of garnet:- pyrope,
almandite, spessartite, which are all (metal) aluminium silicates, and
uvarovite, grossularite, andradite, which are all calcium (metal)
silicates.
Trade Terminology
In the trade, gem dealers hardly ever refer to their stock as "pyrope"
or "almandite". Instead, they will often refer to "brown" or Indian
garnets. Rhodolite garnets are usually about midway along the
pyrope-almandite axis.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
| Chemical Composition and
Name
Almandite is an iron aluminium silicate, 3FeO . Al2O3
. 3Si2
Pyrope is a magnesium aluminium silicate
Spessartite is a manganese aluminium silicate
Andradite is a calcium iron silicate.
Grossular is a calcium aluminium silicate
Uvarovite is a calcium chromium silicate.
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(View
Almandite
Stocks
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TREATMENTS
Typically Almandite is not
HEAT treated.
CARE
It is usually safe to clean Almandite jewelry in an Ultrasonic cleaner, but risky to use a
steamer. We recommend ionic cleaners and/or warm, soapy water and
a soft brush as the best way to clean your gemstone jewelry.
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