3.26" Spessartine Garnet & Smoky Quartz Cluster - China

Garnets are nesosilicates with the general formula X3Y2(SiO4)3. Garnets come in many species, including pyrope, almandine (the most common species), spessartine, uvarovite, andradite and grossular, varieties of which are hessonite, cinnamon-stone, and tsavorite. Garnets are found in a wide variety of colors including red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown, blue, black, pink, and colorless, though reddish shades are the most common.

About Smoky Quartz

Smoky quartz is a variety of quartz distinguished by its smoky gray to deep brown or nearly black coloration, a name inspired by the hazy, smoke-like appearance within the crystal. While some specimens can appear very dark or even opaque, most smoky quartz remains at least partially translucent, allowing light to pass through its internal veils and zoning. The color develops when trace amounts of aluminum within the quartz lattice are exposed to natural irradiation over geologic time, subtly altering the crystal structure and producing its characteristic smoky tones.