Almandine is the newest member of the garnet group at mont Saint-Hilaire. It was recently identified by Bob Gault of the Canadian Museum of Nature from a specimen collected by the Horváths in September ’99 from a contact zone of sodalite syenite and hornfels.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Color is red.
- Luster is vitreous.
- Diaphaneity is transparent.
- Crystal System is isometric; Ia3d.
- Crystal Habits include embedded crystals and fragments.
- Cleavage (?).
- Fracture is subconchoidal.
- Hardness is 7.5
- Specific Gravity is approximately 4.0 g/cm3.
- Streak is (?).
- Associated Minerals include calcite, fluorite, marcasite, mica group,
microcline, pyrite and quartz. - Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit and luster.
- Origin: Known since antiquity, it was descrfibed by Agricola in 1546.
Name is derived from the locality at Alabanda, Turkey.
| Dana class # | 51.4.3a.2 – Nesosilicates: insular SiO4 groups only; garnet group |
| Strunz class # | VIII/A.08-20 – Silicates; nesosilicates with [SiO4]4- groups, cations of octahedral and cubic orientation [8+6]; garnet group; pyrope – henritermierite |