Video on Instagram

Beautiful growth striations along with super luster and translucence and a rich wine-red hue highlight this large spessartine crystal, which is a near floater. Quite impressive as a display piece, it retains much more overall crystal shape than most specimens in such size did. These came out of several finds of garnets where the form was altered by dissolution over time, some years ago. Most were corroded into fantastical shapes, and have lost the original crystal form of the garnet. This one is preserved between the old form and the new, looking very sculptural as a result. It is large, dramatic, colorful, and has excellent luster. I have not seen comparable in some years now, particularly in this large size range.