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 Post subject: spessartite vs hessonite
PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:32 pm 
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sory but i´m noob :oops: :)
what´s the diference between spessartite and hessonite?
:roll:


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:46 pm 
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Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
Hessonite is a variety of the grossularite species of garnet. Spessartite/spessartine is a species of garnet.

Hessonite has an RI of 1.740 (+.020, -.04), spessartite 1.810 (+.004,-.020)

Specific gravity: H = 3.61; S = 4.15

Cause of color: H = iron; S = manganese, and some iron

Some spessartite, notably mandarin, can cost a great deal more than simple hessonite, all things being equal.

Hope this helps some :)

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:48 pm 
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Garnets are complicated little buggers, chemically speaking.

Hessonite is a color variety of Grossular garnet and thus in the Ugrandite group. Spessartite is an end-member of the Pyralspite group.

The Gemology project page on garnets has lots of good information. But, in order to keep it simple, think of it this way: the difference between the two is that Hessonite has Calcium and Spessartite has Manganese.


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:50 pm 
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Pedro,
Here's a link to the wonderful Garnet information here:
http://gemologyonline.com/garnet.html

Click on the 'Gems 101: Descriptions of Gems' on the left panel toward the top. I already selected the garnets in the link above.

Never be concerned about asking a question! We don't bite - well, most of us don't....

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:53 pm 
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thanks
to both :P
they look alike. both beautifull ,if they aren´t cab grades.
only with time i start to understund diferences. and most of them only can be seen by science instruments.


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 6:02 pm 
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Pedro wrote:
they look alike. both beautifull ,if they aren´t cab grades.


I don't know about looking alike... I don't think anyone has ever seen a Hessonite that looked like this...

Image


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 6:39 pm 
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BAM

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:58 pm 
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:shock: wow, n00b!! that's some intense color that nigerian spessartite is sportin'!! hessonite can be a beautiful stone as well, though, pedro. :wink: it's probably my fave in the garnet family.


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:45 am 
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nice rock :shock:
but i still prefer green , i realy like tsavorites, my favorite garnet.


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