General Information | |||||||||||||||||
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A variety or type of: | Almandine-Pyrope, which is a variety of Garnet Group | ||||||||||||||||
Rhodolite Treatments | |||||||||||||||||
This material is reported by G.V. Rogers (unpublished observation) to change from purplish color to a hessonite-type brownish color on heating. A brief check confirmed this change at about 600°C in some rhodolites, but not in others; it could not be reversed by gamma irradiation – Nassau (1984) | |||||||||||||||||
Physical Properties of Rhodolite | |||||||||||||||||
Mohs Hardness | 7 to 7.5Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) , More from other references | ||||||||||||||||
Specific Gravity | 3.84 +/-Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) , More from other references | ||||||||||||||||
Optical Properties of Rhodolite | |||||||||||||||||
Refractive Index | 1.760 +/-Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) , More from other references | ||||||||||||||||
Optical Character | IsotropicBlue Chart Gem Identification (2010) , Anomalous double refraction | ||||||||||||||||
Colour | |||||||||||||||||
Colour (General) | Red, brownish-red, violet-redGemmological Tables (2004) , | ||||||||||||||||
Colour (Chelsea Filter) | (Dark) redBlue Chart Gem Identification (2010) , | ||||||||||||||||
Causes of Colour | Reddish purple, Fe2+ in distorted cubic coordinationPragmatic Spectroscopy For Gemologists (2011) , | ||||||||||||||||
Transparency | TransparentGemmological Tables (2004) , | ||||||||||||||||
Crystallography of Rhodolite | |||||||||||||||||
Crystal System | IsometricBlue Chart Gem Identification (2010) , | ||||||||||||||||
Inclusions in Rhodolite | |||||||||||||||||
Orientied rutile needles, apatite, undulatory extinction - Gemmological Tables, Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, 2004, p 25 | |||||||||||||||||
Further Information | |||||||||||||||||
Mineral information: | Rhodolite information at mindat.org | ||||||||||||||||
Significant Gem Localities | |||||||||||||||||
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