Spessartine
Mineral Mn3Al2(SiO4)3
Also called Spessartite
About it
Orange to red-brown manganese garnet of pegmatites and rhyolite; sharp crystals perched on smoky quartz from Fujian, China, and bright mandarin gems from Namibia and Nigeria.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Silicate (nesosilicate), garnet group
- Formula
- Mn3Al2(SiO4)3
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 6.5–7.5
- Specific gravity
- 4.1–4.3
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy), resinous
- Crystal system
- Isometric (cubic)
- Colours
- orange, orange-red, yellow-orange, red-brown
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- none; conchoidal fracture
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.