2.8" Lustrous, Rich-Green Demantoid Garnet Cluster - Iran

About Demantoid Garnets

Demantoid is the vivid green, chromium-rich variety of andradite garnet, renowned for its exceptionally high dispersion (0.057), which produces spectral “fire” that exceeds that of diamond. First described from the metamorphosed serpentinite bodies of Russia’s Ural Mountains in the mid-19th century, it often contains radiating chrysotile “horsetail” inclusions that are both diagnostic of Russian material and valuable indicators of natural formation conditions. Additional occurrences in Namibia and Madagascar produce comparable specimens, though Ural deposits remain the benchmark for saturated coloration and classic inclusion patterns. Formed under narrowly defined temperature–pressure regimes in ultramafic and contact-metamorphic settings, demantoid’s chromium-induced color, distinctive internal structures, and remarkable optical properties make it one of the most scientifically important and visually extraordinary members of the garnet group.