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Spessartine

Big Photo

Putian City, Putian Prefecture, Fujian Province, China
© Dick Dionne

Show Spessartine Photos (545)
Formula:
Mn
2+
3
Al
 
2
[SiO
 
4
]
 
3
System:IsometricColour:Red, reddish orange, ...
Lustre:VitreousHardness:6½ - 7½
Name:Named after its type locality in the Spessart Mts, Germany.


Garnet Group. Almandine-Spessartine Series.

Occurs in magmatic, metamorphic, and pegmatitic rocks.

Classification of Spessartine

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:8/A.08-30
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:9.AD.25

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
A : Nesosilicates
D : Nesosilicates without additional anions; cations in [6] and/or greater coordination
Dana 8th edition ID:51.4.3a.3

51 : NESOSILICATES Insular SiO4 Groups Only
4 : Insular SiO4 Groups Only with cations in [6] and >[6] coordination
Hey's CIM Ref.:16.16.2

16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
16 : Aluminosilicates of Mn
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Type Occurrence of Spessartine

Type Locality:Sommer quarry, Haibach, Aschaffenburg, Spessart Mts, Franconia, Bavaria, Germany
Year of Discovery:1832

Physical Properties of Spessartine

Lustre:Vitreous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Colour:Red, reddish orange, yellowish brown, reddish brown, or brown
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):6½ - 7½
Fracture:Sub-Conchoidal
Density (measured):4.12 - 4.32 g/cm3
Density (calculated):4.19 g/cm3

Crystallography of Spessartine

Crystal System:Isometric
Class (H-M):m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:Ia3d (I41/a 3 2/d)
Cell Parameters:a = 11.63Å
Unit Cell Volume:V 1,573.04 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Optical Data of Spessartine

Type:Isotropic

Chemical Properties of Spessartine

Formula:
Mn
2+
3
Al
 
2
[SiO
 
4
]
 
3
Essential elements:Al, Mn, O, Si
All elements listed in formula:Al, Mn, O, Si
Common Impurities:Ti,Fe,Mg,Ca,H2O,Y

Relationship of Spessartine to other Species

Series:Forms a series with Almandine (see here)
Member of:Garnet Group
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
9.AD.05Larnite
Ca
 
2
[SiO
 
4
]
9.AD.05Calcio-Olivine
Ca
 
2
[SiO
 
4
]
9.AD.15Merwinite
Ca
 
3
Mg[SiO
 
4
]
 
2
9.AD.20Bredigite
Ca
 
7
Mg[SiO
 
4
]
 
4
9.AD.25Andradite
Ca
 
3
Fe
3+
2
[SiO
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.25Almandine
Fe
2+
3
Al
 
2
[SiO
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.25Calderite
(Mn
2+
 
,Ca)
 
3
(Fe
3+
 
,Al)
 
2
[SiO
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.25Goldmanite
Ca
 
3
(V
3+
 
,Al,Fe
3+
 
)
 
2
[SiO
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.25Grossular
Ca
 
3
Al
 
2
[SiO
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.25Henritermierite
Ca
 
3
(Mn
3+
 
,Al)
 
2
[(OH)
 
4
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
2
]
9.AD.25Hibschite
Ca
 
3
Al
 
2
[(OH)
 
6-1
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
1.5-2.5
]
9.AD.25Hydroandradite
9.AD.25Katoite
Ca
 
3
Al
 
2
[(OH)
 
8-6
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
1-1.5
]
9.AD.25Kimzeyite
Ca
 
3
(Zr,Ti)
 
2
[(Si,Al,Fe
3+
 
)O
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.25Knorringite
Mg
 
3
Cr
 
2
[SiO
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.25Majorite
Mg
 
3
(Fe
2+
 
,Si,Al)
 
2
[SiO
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.25Morimotoite
Ca
 
3
(Ti,Fe
2+
 
,Fe
3+
 
)
 
2
[(Si,Fe
3+
 
)O
 
4
]
 
3
 (?)
9.AD.25Pyrope
Mg
 
3
Al
 
2
[SiO
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.25Schorlomite
Ca
 
3
(Ti,Fe
3+
 
)
 
2
[(Si,Fe
3+
 
,Fe
2+
 
)O
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.25Uvarovite
Ca
 
3
Cr
 
2
[SiO
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.25Wadalite
Ca
 
6
(Al,Mg)
 
4
[Cl
 
3
|O
 
4
|{(Si,Al,Fe
3+
 
)O
 
4
}
 
3
]
9.AD.25Holtstamite
Ca
 
3
(Al,Mn
3+
 
)
 
2
(SiO
 
4
)
 
2
(OH)
 
4
9.AD.30Coffinite
(U,Th)[(OH)
 
4x
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
1-x
]
9.AD.30Hafnon
(Hf,Zr)[SiO
 
4
]
9.AD.30Thorite
(Th,U)[SiO
 
4
]
9.AD.30Thorogummite
(Th,U)[(OH)
 
4x
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
1-x
]
9.AD.30Zircon
Zr[SiO
 
4
]
9.AD.35Huttonite
Th[SiO
 
4
]
9.AD.35Tombarthite-(Y)
Y
 
4
[HSiO
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.40Eulytine
Bi
 
4
[SiO
 
4
]
 
3
9.AD.45Reidite
Zr[SiO
 
4
]
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
16.16.1Kanonaite
Mn
3+
 
Al[O|SiO
 
4
]
16.16.3Davreuxite
MnAl
 
6
Si
 
4
O
 
17
(OH)
 
2
16.16.4Sursassite
Mn
 
2
Al
 
3
[(OH)
 
3
|SiO
 
4
|Si
 
2
O
 
7
]
16.16.5Carpholite
Mn
2+
 
Al
 
2
[(OH)
 
4
|Si
 
2
O
 
6
]
16.16.6Kellyite
Mn
2+
2
Al[(OH)
 
4
|AlSiO
 
5
]
16.16.7Pennantite
(Mn
 
5
Al)(Si
 
3
Al)O
 
10
(OH)
 
8
16.16.8Akatoreite
(Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
)
 
9
Al
 
2
[(OH)
 
3
|HSi
 
4
O
 
13
]
16.16.9Ganophyllite
(K,Na,Ca)
 
2
Mn
 
8
(Si,Al)
 
12
(O,OH)
 
32
·8H
 
2
O
16.16.10Kôzulite
[Na][Na
 
2
][Mn
2+
4
(Fe
3+
 
,Al)][(OH)
 
2
|Si
 
8
O
 
22
]
16.16.11Masutomilite
(K,Rb)(Li,Mn
3+
 
,Al)
 
3
[(F,OH)
 
2
|AlSi
 
3
O
 
10
]
16.16.13Howieite
Na(Fe,Mn)
 
10
(Fe,Al)
 
2
Si
 
12
O
 
31
(OH)
 
13
16.16.14Eggletonite
(Na,K,Ca)
 
2
(Mn,Fe)
 
8
(Si,Al)
 
12
O
 
29
(OH)
 
7
·11H
 
2
O
16.16.15Bannisterite
Ca
 
0.5
(K,Na)
 
0.5
(Mn,Fe,Zn)
 
10
(Si,Al)
 
16
O
 
38
(OH)
 
8
·5.5H
 
2
O
16.16.16Taneyamalite
(Na,Ca)(Mn,Mg,Fe)
 
12
Si
 
12
(O,OH)
 
44
16.16.17Zussmanite
K(Fe,Mg,Mn)
 
13
(Si,Al)
 
18
O
 
42
(OH)
 
14
16.16.18Coombsite
K(Mn,Fe,Mg)
 
13
(Si,Al)
 
18
O
 
42
(OH)
 
14
16.16.19Henritermierite
Ca
 
3
(Mn
3+
 
,Al)
 
2
[(OH)
 
4
|(SiO
 
4
)
 
2
]
16.16.20Macfallite
Ca
 
2
(Mn
3+
 
,Al)
 
3
[(OH)
 
3
|SiO
 
4
|Si
 
2
O
 
7
]
16.16.21Ottrélite
(Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
,Mg)Al
 
2
[O|(OH)
 
2
|SiO
 
4
]
16.16.22Piemontite
{Ca
 
2
}{Al
 
2
Mn
3+
 
}[O|OH|SiO
 
4
|Si
 
2
O
 
7
]
16.16.23Okhotskite
Ca
 
8
(Mn,Mg)
 
4
(Mn,Al,Fe)
 
8
Si
 
12
O
 
56-n
(OH)
 
n
16.16.24Pumpellyite-(Mn2+)
Ca
 
2
(Mn
2+
 
,Mg)(Al,Mn
3+
 
,Fe
3+
 
)
 
2
[(OH)
 
2
|SiO
 
4
|Si
 
2
O
 
7
] · H
 
2
O
16.16.25Piemontite-(Sr)
{CaSr}{Al
 
2
Mn
3+
 
}[O|OH|SiO
 
4
|Si
 
2
O
 
7
]

Other Names for Spessartine

Synonyms:
Erinite (of van der Lingen)Mandarin Garnet PartschiniteSpessartine Garnet
German names:
Spessartit
Italian names:
SpessartinaSpessartite
Russian names:
Спессартин
Spanish names:
Spessartita
Traditional Chinese names:
锰铝榴石
Varieties:
BrandãositeCalcium-EisenspessartinEmildine

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Spessartine

Reference List:American Mineralogist (1971): 56: 791.

Rossman, G.R., Rauch, F., Livi, R., Tombrello, T.A., Shi, C.R., and Zhoi, Z.Y. (1988) Nuclear reaction analysis of hydrogen in almandine, pyrope and spessartine garnets. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie Monatshefte: 4: 172-178.

American Mineralogist (1990): 75: 314-318.

Internet Links for Spessartine

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    Localities for Spessartine

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