Almandine

specimen number:
2133210

location:
Spruce Pine, Mitchell Co., North Carolina, USA

description:
An unusual and attractive gemmy naturally flattened deep red crystal of almandine. This is in great condition.

The Spruce Pine mining district in western North Carolina is one of the most geologically significant pegmatite provinces in the United States, famous for its industrial minerals and high-quality almandine garnet. Geologically, these garnets are found within the Spruce Pine Plutonic Suite, a series of granitic pegmatites and schists that formed during the Taconic and Acadian orogenies roughly 380 to 400 million years ago. The almandine typically occurs as well-formed dodecahedral crystals embedded in micaceous schists or within the coarse-grained pegmatite bodies themselves. Historically, mining in the region began in the late 1800s and intensified during the 20th century, primarily focusing on mica, feldspar, and high-purity quartz for industrial and tech applications. While almandine was often recovered as a byproduct of these larger operations, specific interest in the garnets peaked during the mid-1900s for both abrasive use and as mineral specimens. Today, the district remains a major global supplier of high-purity quartz for the semiconductor industry, and although the large-scale garnet-specific mining has scaled back, the locality remains a legendary site for collectors seeking sharp, deep red almandine crystals.

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