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Almandine

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Almandine

Deshong's Quarry, Leiperville, Ridley Township, Delaware Co., Pennsylvania, USA
Almandine

Garnet Ledge, Wrangell, Wrangell Island, Wrangell-Petersburg Borough, Alaska, USA
Almandine

Garnet Hill, Ely, Robinson District, White Pine Co., Nevada, USA
Almandine

Deshong's Quarry, Leiperville, Ridley Township, Delaware Co., Pennsylvania, USA
Almandine

Garnet Ledge, Wrangell, Wrangell Island, Wrangell-Petersburg Borough, Alaska, USA
Almandine

Garnet Hill, Ely, Robinson District, White Pine Co., Nevada, USA
Almandine

Deshong's Quarry, Leiperville, Ridley Township, Delaware Co., Pennsylvania, USA
Almandine

Garnet Ledge, Wrangell, Wrangell Island, Wrangell-Petersburg Borough, Alaska, USA
Formula:
Fe32+Al2(SiO4)3
System:
Isometric
Colour:
Deep red, brownish red, ...
Lustre:
Vitreous, Resinous
Hardness:
7 - 7½
Name:
Named in 1546 by Georgius Agricola [Georg Bauer] for Alabanda in Turkey, an ancient gem cutting center, presumably where almandine was fashioned into gemstones.
Garnet Group. Almandine-Pyrope Series, Almandine-Spessartine Series.

Most common garnet. Occurs in metamorphic and pegmatitic rocks.

Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Almandine.


Classification of Almandine

IMA status:
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
Strunz 8th ed.:
8/A.08-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) ed.:
9.AD.25

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
A : Nesosilicates
D : Nesosilicates without additional anions; cations in [6] and/or greater coordination
Dana 8th ed.:
51.4.3a.2

51 : NESOSILICATES Insular SiO4 Groups Only
4 : Insular SiO4 Groups Only with cations in [6] and >[6] coordination
Hey's CIM Ref.:
16.17.1

16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
17 : Aluminosilicates of Fe

Physical Properties of Almandine

Lustre:
Vitreous, Resinous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):
Transparent, Translucent
Colour:
Deep red, brownish red, red-violet, black
Comment:
may be sectored
Streak:
White
Hardness (Mohs):
7 - 7½
Tenacity:
Brittle
Parting:
On {110}
Fracture:
Sub-Conchoidal
Density:
4.318 g/cm3 (Measured)    4.313 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of Almandine

Type:
Isotropic
RI values:
n = 1.83
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.000 - Isotropic minerals have no birefringence
Surface Relief:
Very High
Comments:
Anomalously biaxial.

Chemical Properties of Almandine

Formula:
Fe32+Al2(SiO4)3
Elements listed in formula:
Al, Fe, O, Si - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of Almandine

Crystal System:
Isometric
Class (H-M):
m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:
Ia3d
Cell Parameters:
a = 11.526 Å
Unit Cell Volume:
V 1,531.21 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
8
Morphology:
Typically well-formed dodecahedra or trapezohedra, to 1 m; also in rounded grains and massive.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Occurrences of Almandine

Type Occurrence of Almandine

Type Locality:
Alabanda, Aydin Province, Aegean Region, Turkey

Relationship of Almandine to other Species

Series:
Forms a series with Pyrope (see here)
Forms a series with Spessartine (see here)
Member of:
Garnet Structural Group
Other Members of Group:
AndraditeCa3Fe23+(SiO4)3
Berzeliite(NaCa2)Mg2(AsO4)3
Bitikleite Group
BlythiteMn32+Mn23+[SiO4]3
Calderite(Mn2+,Ca)3(Fe3+,Al)2(SiO4)3
GoldmaniteCa3V23+(SiO4)3
GrossularCa3Al2(SiO4)3
HenritermieriteCa3(Mn3+,Al)2(SiO4)2(OH)4
HutcheoniteCa3Ti2(SiAl2)O12
IrinarassiteCa3Sn2Al2SiO12
KatoiteCa3Al2(SiO4)3-x(OH)4x
KerimasiteCa3Zr2(SiO4)(Fe3+O4)2
KhohariteMg3Fe23+(SiO4)3
KimzeyiteCa3(Zr,Ti)2((Si,Al,Fe3+)O4)3
KnorringiteMg3Cr2(SiO4)3
MajoriteMg3(Fe2+,Si,Al)2(SiO4)3
Menzerite-(Y){(Y,REE),(Ca,Fe2+)}3{(Mg,Fe2+),(Fe3+,Al)}2[SiO4]3
Momoiite(Mn2+,Ca)3V23+(SiO4)3
MorimotoiteCa3(Ti,Fe2+,Fe3+)2((Si,Fe3+)O4)3
Palenzonaite(Ca,Na)3CaMn22+(VO4)3
PyropeMg3Al2(SiO4)3
SchäferiteCa2NaMg2(VO4)3
SchorlomiteCa3(Ti,Fe3+)2((Si,Fe3+)O4)3
SkiagiteFe32+Fe23+[SiO4]3
SpessartineMn32+Al2(SiO4)3
ToturiteCa3Sn2(SiO4)(Fe3+O4)2
UM1984-37-SiO:CrMnMn32+(Cr3+,Mn3+)2Si3O12
UvaroviteCa3Cr2(SiO4)3
YafsoaniteCa3Zn3(TeO6)2
Common Associates:
Albite-Anorthite Series
Amphibole Supergroup
Andalusite
Biotite
Chlorite Group
Cordierite
Hematite
Kyanite
Pyroxene Group
Sillimanite
Staurolite
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
9.AD.05LarniteCa2SiO4
9.AD.10Calcio-olivineCa2SiO4
9.AD.15MerwiniteCa3Mg(SiO4)2
9.AD.20BredigiteCa7Mg(SiO4)4
9.AD.25AndraditeCa3Fe23+(SiO4)3
9.AD.25Calderite(Mn2+,Ca)3(Fe3+,Al)2(SiO4)3
9.AD.25GoldmaniteCa3V23+(SiO4)3
9.AD.25GrossularCa3Al2(SiO4)3
9.AD.25HenritermieriteCa3(Mn3+,Al)2(SiO4)2(OH)4
9.AD.25HibschiteCa3Al2(SiO4)3-x(OH)4x
9.AD.25HydroandraditeCa3Fe23+(SiO4)3-x(OH)4x
9.AD.25KatoiteCa3Al2(SiO4)3-x(OH)4x
9.AD.25KimzeyiteCa3(Zr,Ti)2((Si,Al,Fe3+)O4)3
9.AD.25KnorringiteMg3Cr2(SiO4)3
9.AD.25MajoriteMg3(Fe2+,Si,Al)2(SiO4)3
9.AD.25MorimotoiteCa3(Ti,Fe2+,Fe3+)2((Si,Fe3+)O4)3
9.AD.25PyropeMg3Al2(SiO4)3
9.AD.25SchorlomiteCa3(Ti,Fe3+)2((Si,Fe3+)O4)3
9.AD.25SpessartineMn32+Al2(SiO4)3
9.AD.25UvaroviteCa3Cr2(SiO4)3
9.AD.25Wadalite(Ca,Mg)6(Al,Fe3+)4((Si,Al)O4)3O4Cl3
9.AD.25HoltstamiteCa3(Al,Mn3+)2(SiO4)2(OH)4
9.AD.25KerimasiteCa3Zr2(SiO4)(Fe3+O4)2
9.AD.25ToturiteCa3Sn2(SiO4)(Fe3+O4)2
9.AD.25Momoiite(Mn2+,Ca)3V23+(SiO4)3
9.AD.25EltyubyuiteCa12Fe103+Si4O32Cl6
9.AD.25HutcheoniteCa3Ti2(SiAl2)O12
9.AD.30Coffinite(U4+,Th)(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x
9.AD.30HafnonHf(SiO4)
9.AD.30ThoriteTh(SiO4)
9.AD.30ZirconZr(SiO4)
9.AD.30Stetindite-(Ce)Ce(SiO4)
9.AD.35HuttoniteThSiO4
9.AD.35Tombarthite-(Y)Y4(Si,H4)4O12-x(OH)4+2x
9.AD.40EulytineBi4(SiO4)3
9.AD.45ReiditeZrSiO4
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
16.17.2Macaulayite(Fe,Al)24Si4O43(OH)2

Other Names for Almandine

Synonyms:

Adelaide-rubin

Adelaide ruby

Alabandine Ruby

Alamandine

Almandine Garnet

Almandite

Greenlandite (of Klaproth)

Oriental Garnet

Name in Other Languages:
Basque:Almandino
Czech:Almandin
Dutch:Almandien
French:Almandin
Galician:Alabandina
Hungarian:Almandin
Italian:Almandino
Lithuanian:Almandinas
Polish:Almandyn
Serbian (Cyrillic Script):Алмандин
Simplified Chinese:铁铝榴石
贵榴石
Slovenian:Almandin
Spanish:Almandita
Swedish:Almandin
Traditional Chinese:鐵鋁榴石
貴榴石
Varieties:

Dhanrasite

Star Garnet

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.
Industrial Uses:
Abrasive.

References for Almandine

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

Armbruster, T., Geiger, C.A., Lager, G.A. (1992) Single-crystal X-ray structure study of synthetic pyrope almandine garnets at 100 and 293 K. American Mineralogist: 77: 512-521.

Wang, L., Essene, E.J., Zhang, Y. (2000) Direct observation of immiscibility in pyrope-almandine-grossular garnet. American Mineralogist: 85: 41-46.

Internet Links for Almandine

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