Grossular Garnet with Diopside

From the Ala Valley in Piedmont, Italy, a most aesthetic small cabinet specimen of prismatic, gemmy root beer Grossular garnet crystals averaging 3 to 4 mm diameter, with one exceptional elongated crystal to 1.1 cm.  The Grossular forms as lustrous glassy dodecahedral crystals with gemmy faces and frosted translucent centres covering a thin plate of hidden matrix.  Grossular crystals cover all faces of the matrix although on the back face are much smaller, typically 1 mm diameter.  Platy pastel green Diopside crystals to 1 cm form a small cluster, the Ala Valley being the type locality for this species.  Near the top and on the reverse side are many small grey green Clinochlore crystals.  The specimen is mounted vertically on a square colourless acrylic base.