Garnet                            Mineral Group: SILICATES
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Almandine Garnet

Garnet
  • One common use for garnet is as an abrasive.
  • The mineral is crushed into tiny particles, glued up on a paper backing and turned into garnet paper, It is used for sanding.
  • no streak
  • vitreous luster
  • transparent to opaque
  • heavy, hard
  • dark red colour turns to dull pink when weathered
  • Another common use is for jewellery, but only if the garnet crystal is tansparent.

 


SPECIMEN: Massive Garnet in epidote (green)

Garnet Crystal
  • This large, sandy, reddish-purple 12-sided garnet crystal weathered out of the mica schist it was in.
  • The rain & the freeze/thaw cycle makes the schist break down because it is not hard.
  • The garnet is very hard and so just rolls out of the schist into a pile of rock flakes & sand.
  • The surface of the garnet gets dull because the water & chemicals of the sand corrodes its surface. This is called weathering.
  • The crystal looks like a 12-sided die.

SPECIMEN ORIGIN: Markstay, Ontario, CANADA

Garnet Crystal Cluster, River Valley, Ontario  CANADA

Garnet - var. Andradite
Marmoraton Iron Mine, Marmoraton Township  Ontario, CANADA

 
Cogwheel Garnet Crystal
  • COGWHEEL GARNETS are 2 garnets that have grown into each other. The faces that touch have angular "cogwheels".

SPECIMEN ORIGIN: Markstay, Ontario
Almandine Garnets in Mica Schist  from Cormier Property, Lalonde Occurrence, Markstay, Ontario  CANADA

   

Garnets   from Ambro Quarry, Marmorton Iron Mines, Marmora, Hastings County, Ontario  CANADA

 

Almandine Garnet in mica schist  from Laniel, Quebec, CANADA
Almandine Garnet crystal  from River Valley Occurrence, Dana Township, Sudbury District, Ontario, CANADA
Garnets with Kyanite  from North Bay, Ontario, CANADA

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