Mineral · Garnet group
Spessartine
Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3
Spessartine is manganese aluminium garnet, forming orange to red-brown crystals on smoky quartz and feldspar in the pegmatites of Tongbei and Wushan (Fujian, China), Nigeria, Namibia and Ramona (California). The Chinese 'spessartine on quartz' specimens are plentiful and inexpensive; gem 'Mandarin' spessartine from Namibia is expensive. It is heavier and more orange than almandine.
| Formula | Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3 |
|---|---|
| IMA status | grandfathered |
| Crystal system | Cubic |
| Mohs hardness | 7–7.5 |
| Group | Garnet group |
| Type locality | Spessart, Bavaria, Germany |
| Streak | White |
| Specific gravity | 4.2 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Spessartine" (Mineral). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/spessartine. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-spessartine,
title = {Spessartine},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/spessartine}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.