Spessartine

specimen number:
1052653

location:
Ruby Mountain, Nathrop, Chaffee Co., Colorado, USA

description:
Deep red to almost black lustrous sharp crystals of spessartine measuring to 1.5 cm in size embedded up on matrix with minor topaz. In great condition. Neat old time piece for Colorado. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video. The piece was acquired through Colorado dealer Lazard Cahn in 1913.

Ruby Mountain, situated along the Arkansas River near Nathrop in Chaffee County, Colorado, is a world-famous mineralogical site known for its exceptional rhyolite-hosted lithophysae containing spessartine garnet. Geologically, the mountain is a volcanic dome composed of Tertiary-age, flow-banded rhyolite that cooled rapidly, allowing gas bubbles to form cavities known as lithophysae. Within these cavities, silica-rich gases crystallized into a suite of minerals including glassy sanidine, dark obsidian (apache tears), and the characteristic orange-red spessartine garnets, which are often associated with small, tabular crystals of hematite. Historically, the site has been a destination for mineral collectors and researchers since the late 19th century, with significant interest developing after the first scientific descriptions of the locality in the 1880s. While Ruby Mountain has seen small-scale quarrying for road material and abrasive garnet in the past, it has never been the site of a major industrial mining operation; instead, it has remained a premier locality for recreational and academic specimen recovery through 2026.

Lazard Cahn (1865-1940) was a prominent American mineral dealer and self-taught crystallographer based in Colorado Springs who became one of the most respected figures in the field during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was widely recognized for his exceptional ability to identify rare species and for his meticulous study of crystal forms, eventually having the borate mineral cahnite named in his honor. Cahn operated a high-end mineral dealership that catered to major museums and elite private collectors, specializing in rare alpine minerals and classic American localities. His professional career was marked by significant contributions to mineralogical literature, including his work on the micromounting of specimens and his detailed descriptions of complex twinning laws.

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