grossular

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grossular

mineral

Also known as: gooseberry garnet, grossularite

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Also called:: grossularite, or gooseberry garnet (Latin grossularia, “gooseberry”)

Related Topics:: garnet; hessonite; Transvaal jade

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grossular, a calcium aluminum garnet that sometimes resembles the gooseberry fruit. It can be colourless (when pure), white, yellow, brown, red, or green. Massive greenish grossular, though only superficially resembling jade, is sometimes marketed under the name South African, or Transvaal, jade in an attempt to increase its selling price. Nearly all grossular used for faceted gems is orange to reddish brown. The reddish brown material is called cinnamon stone, or hessonite. Grossular typically exhibits internal swirls, which help to distinguish it from spessartine, which is clear. It is ordinarily found in metamorphic rocks. See also garnet.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.