Spessartine on Albite

Unknown Owner

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A special San Diego rarity, these beautiful Garnets date to the Louis Spalding collecting era of the mid 1960s-1970s (or older), and are hard as heck to obtain today. This specimen is well-balanced and attractive, with the translucent and lustrous 1 cm Spessartine nestled perfectly among the blue-tinted Albites. These are rare specimens indeed, as I know from living nearby for almost a decade. Few collectors, even in San Diego County, own a Little Three (or the adjacent Hercules pegmatite dike) Spessartine this good. Unlike most, this one is SHARP - Unfortunately, many were etched in the pocket after formation and the larger ones tend to be deformed, which adds to the rarity of quality crystals such as this without etching, from there. Wonderful aesthetics and matrix, combine to make this a sharp US classic. Richard Kosnar label notes John Sinkankas, the noted San Diego expert and collector, as his source.