Tsavorite
Variety Ca3Al2(SiO4)3
Also called Tsavolite
About it
Green grossular garnet coloured by vanadium and chromium, found in East Africa in the late 1960s and named for Tsavo National Park in Kenya. Also mined in Tanzania; usually untreated.
- Type
- Variety
- Group
- Grossular variety (garnet)
- Formula
- Ca3Al2(SiO4)3
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 7–7.5
- Specific gravity
- 3.57–3.73
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy)
- Crystal system
- Isometric (cubic)
- Colours
- light to deep green
- Transparency
- transparent
- Cleavage and fracture
- none; conchoidal to uneven fracture
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.