A Geoscience Digital Image Library
A Geoscience Digital Image Library
| Title | Almandine in a mica schist |
|---|---|
| Description | The deep wine red crystal (5.5 cm across) is almandine, Fe3Al2Si3O12 (iron aluminum silicate). It is the most common of the garnets and is typical of garnet schists like the one shown here. Garnets often form euhedral (showing well developed faces) crystals, and two shapes of faces can be seen in this sample. Almandine is used as an abrasive, and transparent crystals are prized as gems. Natural almandines are never pure, and usually contain some magnesium, calcium, or other elements not represented in almandine's formula. |
| Location | USA ▹ Alaska. Near Wrangell. |
| Photographer | Darla Sondrol. 2001-07-03. |
| Collection | University of North Dakota Mineralogy Collection. |
| Key words | almandine, garnet, Alaska |
| Tech details | 694 KB. Hand specimen. Fujifilm FinePix S1Pro digital camera; 60mm AF Nikon micro lens. |
| GeoDIL number | 1023 |
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