Garnet on Matrix

Description

A richly crystallised plate of deep red-brown Garnet crystals on a contrasting dark matrix.

The main display surface is covered with intergrown deep red-brown Garnet crystals. Their reflective faces catch the light across the specimen, while larger crystals rise above finer surrounding growth.

Dark and pale areas of natural matrix provide contrast to the crystals. From the Shuikoushan Ore Field in Hunan Province, this is a substantial small-cabinet specimen with strong display presence.

Handling and care: Handle carefully from the solid matrix and avoid pressure on projecting crystals. Keep the specimen dry, avoid chemical cleaners and wash your hands after handling.

Garnet is a group of related silicate minerals rather than a single composition. Its familiar many-faced crystals belong to the cubic system, and different members of the group can show very different colours. Where Spessartine is recorded, the identification refers to the manganese-aluminium member. The supplied species name for this individual listing is retained rather than inferred from colour alone.

The geometry of Garnet is particularly rewarding to study in a matrix specimen. Distinct faces catch separate reflections, allowing the outline of each crystal to stand out against the surrounding material. Smaller crystals and partly embedded growth can contribute to the arrangement too. Both the exposed crystal forms and the contrast with any recorded association are important to the piece’s individual character.

The recorded origin is Shuikoushan Mine, Hunan, China. Within a collection of Garnet specimens, this locality gives the piece a geographical identity alongside its particular crystal habit and natural setting.

The specimen measures 11 × 8 × 5 cm, with a recorded weight of 387 g. The proportions give a useful guide to its place in a display, with the individual crystal arrangement and mineral association remaining the principal points of interest.

Condition: Natural irregularities, contacts and extraction-related edges may be present. Please examine every photograph and the video carefully; the exact natural specimen shown will be supplied.

Support the stable matrix or the supplied mount when moving the specimen, avoiding pressure on projecting growth. A secure indoor display allows its natural form and surface detail to be appreciated while protecting exposed crystal edges.