Spessartine Garnet

Spessartine – Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3
Class: Silicates – Nesosilicates
Crystal System: Cubic
Hardness: 6.5-7.5
Quartz
Talc (1)Diamond (10)
Very hard. Scratches glass and steel.
Origin: Shengus, Skardu, Gilgit-Baltinstan – Pakistan
Did you know?

Spessartine is one of the garnets, and garnet is not only a gem but a workhorse abrasive. Crushed garnet is the grit on garnet sandpaper and the sharp sand fired in waterjet cutters that slice through steel. The same family of crystals prized in a ring is, ground up, tough enough to cut metal.