Andradite var. Demantoid - Antetezambato Demantoid-Topazolite Mine, Anetetzambato Maherivaratra Commune, Maherivaratra Commune, Abanja District, Diana Region, Antsiranana Provence Madagascar. 7.5 cm x 8.2 cm x 3.8 cm (largest xls 1.8 cm x 1 cm). Cut stone 4.2 carats. This is a rather large cabinet specimen which is rare for a mineral that is already rare. The white matrix was limestone which has been, amazingly, metamorphosed (metasomatized) into garnet in ancient geological time. Incredible origins for a matrix garnet specimen, and yet another reason to value this deposit so highly. Demantoid was first discovered in Russia's Ural Mountains in 1851, and from that time through the early 1900s they were popular in Russia and used in the finest jewelers' workshops, often seen in Carl Fabergé's jewelry and precious objects made for the Czars. The 4.02 carat cut stone is quite large for the species considering that any cut stone over one carat is rare. A good part of faceted cut demantoid’s popularity is attributed to its high dispersion. An example of dispersion is the facets of a diamond which act as a prism to refract light and split it into a spectrum of rainbow colors. Demantoid garnet has a higher dispersion than diamonds. #garnet #garnetjewelry #demantoid #demantoidgarnet #demantoidgarnets #geology #Crystal #gemstone #rockhounds #rockhounding #geology #geologist #gemologist #mineralshow #minerals #naturalgemstone #instacrystals #crystalshop #gemshop #crystals #gemstones #gemporn #mineralporn #crystalporn #geologyrocks #fineminerals #finegemstone #crystalline #geologypage #me https://www.instagram.com/p/CnVB_NPvQGa/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
