Description

Detailed Description

This is a superb crystal, with sharp, lustrous faces and complex form. What is perhaps most remarkable about it is that it formed with hollows in places, and a couple of thinner crystal areas, allowing light to pass through and show the internal deep red colour (crystals of this size from this find were often too dark to allow much light through). One part of this crystal is like red glass. In excellent condition, no damage.

The fourth and fifth photos show views from each side of the specimen.

This Navegadora spessartine can look different in different lighting conditions. The photographs here are meant to convey the lustre, the incredible detail, the intense internal red colour when well lit, and also the dark appearance in lower light conditions. When looking at this specimen under modest light, it is dark red, with some visible transparent red (as shown in the third photo). Under display lights, the lustre is superb.

A spectacular spessartine!

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About these Spessartines

These spessartines are from the famous March 2003 pocket at the Navegadora Mine. The Navegadora Mine exploits a pegmatite and produces feldspar for commercial purposes – It is not mined for specimens, and this pocket was unique. In an article in Rocks and Minerals (“Spessartine from the Navegadora Mine, Minas Gerais, Brazil” Vol. 84, Jan-Feb 2009) author John White discusses how these spessrtines formed. While etching was involved, the specific mechanism that resulted in the final forms of these etched crystals remains a mystery.