[Rockhounds] giant garnets and massive kyanite photos

[Lanny]

Hi Don,

Yes, I have a very nice specimen of that type of garnet with about half 
of the well formed crystal free of the matrix and showing the rim 
around the portion in the matrix. Although, I don't know exactly where 
that specimen came from, a friend gave it to me. Those like that that 
I've found haven't had as sharp a separation between the two zones and 
they don't break out with the good form showing. Yet, they still look 
good in the rock, as in  your photo.

Any way you look at it, that region is a  blast if you like to run 
around in the mountains and look at metamorphic minerals. Any time 
anyone is driving around up there, they should regularly stop and look 
in the road, there are many areas with garnet or kyanite crystals in 
the road, even if the forest covers the rocks.

Regards,

Lanny

On Jul 14, 2007, at 5:11 PM, DonH wrote:

> Lanny wrote:
>
>>> http://mysite.verizon.net/resqkdq4/z-easy-garnets.jpg
>>>
>
> Ask and you shall receive.  If you look carefully, these have two 
> zones: a rounded, crumbly outer core that is not in equilibrium with 
> the host rock, and a perfectly euhedral inner core of opaque but 
> usually crisp-faced garnet, up to 3-4 cm, but usually 1-3 cm.  These 
> could be used in crystallography class to teach morphology.  They look 
> faceted. The outcrop is found in a thickly grown section of forest, up 
> a hill about 30-40 meters.  Frankly I don't know how the professor 
> knew where to stop.
>
> But then again, on the trail up to the top of Goat Mtn., the 
> kyanite-in isograd appears, and small white kyanites are found.  A 
> prize is given to the first student who finds a kyanite and IDs the 
> gradient where it appears.  As we are told later, there is also a K 
> carved into a tree to mark the spot.
>
> Don
>
>
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