Umbalite
A variety of Pyrope-Spessartine Series
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About Umbalite
Formula:
Mg3Al2(SiO4)3 - Mn3Al2(SiO4)3
Colour:
light pink to purple
Name:
Named after the Umba River, Tanzania.
A variety of Pyrope-Spessartine Series
A gem trade name for a garnet intermediate between pyrope and spessartine, from Tanzania and Kenya.
Originally described from Umba River (Umba Valley), Tanga Region, Tanzania in 1978.
When umbalite was first discovered in the 1960s by miners extracting rhodolite garnets in the Umba River Valley of Tanzania, it was first thought to be a variety of spessartine garnet because its colour was markedly different to what was usually obtained and so it was initially discarded. Later, a few samples were analysed and the garnet was deemed to be a pyrope dominant pyralspite (pyrope/almandine/spessartine mix), although the almandine content was generally low. However, over the following years subsequent analysis and research has found that the majority of garnet material known as umbalite or malaia (malaya garnet) is actually a variable pyrope-spessartine mix and this garnet is now widely regarded as being a pyrope-spessartine variety.
The main localities (discovered in the mid-1960s and early 1970s) for these garnets are in East Africa (the Umba mining region bordering Tanzania and southern Kenya), with smaller deposits found in southern Tanzania in 1993. Similar material was found in Sri Lanka in the 1980s and discoveries were also made near Bekily, Madagascar in the late 1990s and in Manica, Mozambique in 2016 as well.
A gem trade name for a garnet intermediate between pyrope and spessartine, from Tanzania and Kenya.
Originally described from Umba River (Umba Valley), Tanga Region, Tanzania in 1978.
When umbalite was first discovered in the 1960s by miners extracting rhodolite garnets in the Umba River Valley of Tanzania, it was first thought to be a variety of spessartine garnet because its colour was markedly different to what was usually obtained and so it was initially discarded. Later, a few samples were analysed and the garnet was deemed to be a pyrope dominant pyralspite (pyrope/almandine/spessartine mix), although the almandine content was generally low. However, over the following years subsequent analysis and research has found that the majority of garnet material known as umbalite or malaia (malaya garnet) is actually a variable pyrope-spessartine mix and this garnet is now widely regarded as being a pyrope-spessartine variety.
The main localities (discovered in the mid-1960s and early 1970s) for these garnets are in East Africa (the Umba mining region bordering Tanzania and southern Kenya), with smaller deposits found in southern Tanzania in 1993. Similar material was found in Sri Lanka in the 1980s and discoveries were also made near Bekily, Madagascar in the late 1990s and in Manica, Mozambique in 2016 as well.
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Umbalite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
27164 (as Umbalite)
42908 (as Pyrope-Spessartine Series)
42908 (as Pyrope-Spessartine Series)
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:27164:0 (as Umbalite)
mindat:1:1:42908:9 (as Pyrope-Spessartine Series)
mindat:1:1:42908:9 (as Pyrope-Spessartine Series)
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
7cf1c371-fcb6-4303-82da-e1c9ad459fc9 (as Umbalite)
cbacef61-98e0-4cc2-8969-e174b01c23c5 (as Pyrope-Spessartine Series)
cbacef61-98e0-4cc2-8969-e174b01c23c5 (as Pyrope-Spessartine Series)
Physical Properties of Umbalite
Colour:
light pink to purple
Chemistry of Umbalite
Mindat Formula:
Mg3Al2(SiO4)3 - Mn3Al2(SiO4)3
Synonyms of Umbalite
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Umbalite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-27164.html
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Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Umbalite
Reference List:
Schmetzer, Karl, Hainschwang, Thomas, Kiefert, Lore, Bernhardt, Heinz-Jürgen (2001) Pink to Pinkish Orange Malaya Garnets from Bekily, Madagascar. Gems & Gemology, 37 (4) 296-308 doi:10.5741/gems.37.4.296
Localities for Umbalite
Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
Struck out - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality.
Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Madagascar | |
| Karl Schmetzer +8 other references |
| Maharaj (2015) +1 other reference |
| Isatelle (2009) |
Mozambique | |
Tasnara Sripoonjan +4 other references | |
Sri Lanka | |
Tanzania | |
| Gems and Gemology |
Umba River, Korogwe Rural District, Tanga Region, Tanzania