Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

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On Exhibit Spessartine [G3229]

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Spessartine (G3229) from the National Gem Collection

Photograph of a group of spessartine garnets from the National Gem Collection


Photo by Chip Clark


Garnet
What color comes to mind when you think of garnets? For most people, it's the dark red seen in jewelry. In fact, garnets have been found in all colors except blue. The garnet family includes 15 minerals with the same basic atomic arrangement for different compositions. The name garnet comes from the Latin word for pomegranate. Garnets were thought to resemble that fruit's seeds.

Hover over color tiles above to learn what this object tells us about the history of the Earth

On Exhibit denotes specimens currently on exhibit

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