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ANDRADITE 1.25″ X 1.75″ X .5″

$300.00 $249.99

Earthy green, olive, dark yellow and black it is named after the Protuguese mineralogist d’Andrada. A stone of strength and self-empowerment. A form of garnet.

 

Locality: Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

 

SKU: AND1. Tags: .

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ANDRADITE (var. DEMANTOID)

 

HISTORY, NAME, LOCALITIES: Andradite, pronounced ahn-DRAH-dite, has been known since antiquity.  It is named for the Brazilian mineralogist José Bonifácio de Adrada e Silva (1763-1838).  The demantoid variety was discovered in Russia in 1868.  Its name stems from the Greek demant, meaning “diamond,” and alluding to its unusual brilliance when cut into gems.  Demantoid is collected in Russia, Namibia, Italy, Iran, Afghanistan, Madagascar, and the United States (California).

 

MINERALOGY, PROPERTIES, OCCURRENCE: Andradite [calcium iron silicate, Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3], one of 15 members of the garnet group, crystallizes in the isometric system as transparent-to-opaque dodecahedrons and trapezohedrons.  It has a Mohs hardness of 6.5-7.2, a vitreous luster, no cleavage, and a specific gravity of 3.7-4.1.  The demantoid variety forms through igneous processes in pegmatites and carbonatites, and through metamorphic processes in altered limestone.  Demantoid colors range from yellowish-green to emerald-green and are caused by the presence of chromium.  An unusually high index of refraction of 1.80-1.89 accounts for the brilliance of demantoid gems.

 

METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES, LORE, USES: Demantoid is faceted into very attractive and costly gems.  It was first popularized by the Russian goldsmith and jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920) in the late 1800s.  Metaphysical practitioners believe that demantoid is a “travelers’ stone” that inspires exploration and discovery, and also eases depression and eliminates the memories of bad dreams.

 

COLLECTORS’ INFORMATION: Mineral collectors value the demantoid variety of andradite for its rarity and its distinctive, beautiful green colors.

 

SKU: AND1 Tag: .

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