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1.8" Red-Orange Hessonite Garnets on Diopside - Norway
This is a 1.8" wide cluster of red-orange hessonite garnets that formed in association with small light green diopside crystals, collected from Forslandselva Plateau in Nordland, Norway.
It comes with an acrylic display case and mineral tack.
It comes with an acrylic display case and mineral tack.
About Hessonite Garnets
Hessonite garnet—often called the “cinnamon stone” for its warm orange-brown to honey-amber hues—is a gem-quality variety of grossular garnet prized for its rich color and distinctive internal texture. Typically found in metamorphosed limestones and skarn deposits, hessonite forms under high-temperature conditions that give it its characteristic silky, “treacly” translucence. Unlike the glassy clarity of some other garnets, hessonite often shows subtle internal swirls or a slightly granular appearance, a diagnostic feature long noted by gemologists. Major sources include Sri Lanka, India, Canada, and Tanzania, where well-formed crystals and gemmy nodules occur.
What sets hessonite garnet apart from other garnet varieties is its unmistakable combination of color and texture. Its signature “cinnamon” to honey-orange tones—caused by trace iron and manganese—are instantly recognizable, but its internal structure is even more distinctive. Under magnification, hessonite displays a ropy, syrup-like internal pattern known as turbulence, created by microscopic inclusions and subtle structural irregularities. This produces a glowing, almost liquid translucence that no other garnet exhibits, making hessonite one of the most easily identifiable and visually unique members of the garnet family.
Hessonite garnet—often called the “cinnamon stone” for its warm orange-brown to honey-amber hues—is a gem-quality variety of grossular garnet prized for its rich color and distinctive internal texture. Typically found in metamorphosed limestones and skarn deposits, hessonite forms under high-temperature conditions that give it its characteristic silky, “treacly” translucence. Unlike the glassy clarity of some other garnets, hessonite often shows subtle internal swirls or a slightly granular appearance, a diagnostic feature long noted by gemologists. Major sources include Sri Lanka, India, Canada, and Tanzania, where well-formed crystals and gemmy nodules occur.
What sets hessonite garnet apart from other garnet varieties is its unmistakable combination of color and texture. Its signature “cinnamon” to honey-orange tones—caused by trace iron and manganese—are instantly recognizable, but its internal structure is even more distinctive. Under magnification, hessonite displays a ropy, syrup-like internal pattern known as turbulence, created by microscopic inclusions and subtle structural irregularities. This produces a glowing, almost liquid translucence that no other garnet exhibits, making hessonite one of the most easily identifiable and visually unique members of the garnet family.
About Diopside
Diopside is a pyroxene mineral with the chemical formula MgCaSi₂O₆. It is often found as small green crystals within metamorphic and igneous rocks, though it can vary in color including yellow, brown, and black. It is an important indicator rock when searching for deep-source volcanic pipes that may or may not contain diamonds. Geologists searching for these pipes often look for diopside crystal fragments, since they form in nearly the same atmospheric conditions and locations as diamonds. Diopside with deep green coloration is known as chrome diopside.
Diopside is a pyroxene mineral with the chemical formula MgCaSi₂O₆. It is often found as small green crystals within metamorphic and igneous rocks, though it can vary in color including yellow, brown, and black. It is an important indicator rock when searching for deep-source volcanic pipes that may or may not contain diamonds. Geologists searching for these pipes often look for diopside crystal fragments, since they form in nearly the same atmospheric conditions and locations as diamonds. Diopside with deep green coloration is known as chrome diopside.
$59
SPECIES
Grossular var. Hessonite & Diopside
LOCATION
Forslandselva Plateau, 2 km east of Mt. Fjellstuklubben, Toven Massive, Mosjoen, Nordland, Norway
SIZE
1.8 x 1.2"
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#341775
