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Formula: Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3
Nesosilicate (insular SiO4 groups), garnet group, forms a
series with almandine,
manganese-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Isometric
Specific gravity: 4.12 to 4.32 measured, 4.19 calculated
Hardness: 7
Streak: White
Colour: Pink, orange, light brown to dark brown
Solubility: Insoluble in hydrochloric, sulphuric and nitric acid
Common impurities: Ti,Fe,Mg,Ca,H2O,Y
Environments:
Plutonic igneous environments
Volcanic igneous environments
Pegmatites
Metamorphic environments
Spessartine occurs in plutonic igneous rocks and
pegmatites and in
skarn. In
skarn and manganese-rich assemblages of
metasomatic origin it is associated with
rhodonite, tephroite,
pyroxmangite and other manganese minerals. In
granite
pegmatites the garnet
is usually an
almandine-spessartine solid solution (Lauf p135).
Localities
At Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, spessartine is associated with
galena
(Lauf p136).
Spessartine from Broken Hill - Image
At Tongbei, Fujian province, China, spessartine occurs with smoky quartz
and feldspar (Lauf p135).
Spessartine from Tongbei - Image
At Ruby mountain, Chaffee county, Colorado, USA, small spessartine crystals are found in
rhyolite (Lauf p135).
Spessartine from Ruby Mountain - Image
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