Malaia garnet

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Malaia garnet
General
CategoryVarietal name
Formula (Mg,Mn)3Al2(SiO4)3 [1]
Crystal system cubic [1]
Identification
Colorlight to dark slightly pinkish orange, reddish orange, yellowish orange
Cleavage none, may show indistinct parting [1]
Fracture conchoidal [1]
Mohs scale hardness7 - 7.5 [1]
Luster vitreous [1]
Diaphaneity transparent
Specific gravity 3.78 - 3.85 [1]
Polish lustervitreous to subadamantine [1]
Optical propertiesSingle refractive, often anomalous double refractive [1]
Refractive index 1.760 (+.020, -.018) [1]
Birefringence none [1]
Pleochroism none [1]
Ultraviolet fluorescence inert [1]
Absorption spectra strong lines at 410, 420, 430nm, that may merge to form cutoff below 435nm. Also some combination of lines at 460, 480, 504, 520, or 573nm. [1]

Malaia garnet or Malaya garnet is a gemological varietal name for light to dark slightly pinkish orange, reddish orange, or yellowish orange garnet, that are of a mixture within the pyralspite series pyrope, almandine, and spessartine with a little calcium. In Swahili, Malaia means "out of the family", a reference to how this variety was initially set aside by miners looking for gem quality rhodolite. [2] It is found in east Africa, in the Umba Valley bordering Tanzania and Kenya. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 (Gia), Gemological. Gem Reference Guide. City: Gemological Institute of America (GIA), 1988. ISBN   0-87311-019-6
  2. ↑ "Malaya/Malaia Garnet Value, Price, and Jewelry Information - IGS". International Gem Society. Archived from the original on 2026-01-06. Retrieved 2026-01-23.
  3. ↑ Garnet(Almandine, Rhodolite, Pyrope, Demantoid, Tsavorite, Hessonite, Grossular, Spessartine) Course notes at the Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin website, accessed January 27, 2007
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