TONGBEI FIRE — SPESSARTINE ON SMOKY QUARTZ

TONGBEI FIRE — SPESSARTINE ON SMOKY QUARTZ

Another killer acquisition from the hunt… and this one is an absolute Chinese classic.

An incredible Spessartine Garnet on Smoky Quartz from the legendary Tongbei locality in Fujian Province, China.

The contrast on this piece is ridiculous — a sharp, glassy Smoky Quartz crystal rising straight through a dense blanket of fiery orange-red Spessartine Garnets. The garnets completely light up under illumination, with flashes of deep orange, cinnamon and red against that smoky termination.

This association is exactly what made Tongbei famous in the mineral world. The classic specimens come from the Wushan/Tongbei area, where spessartine commonly occurs with smoky quartz and feldspar in pockets within the granite.

I absolutely LOVE the architecture of this one — the clean quartz termination towering over that sea of garnets gives the entire specimen serious presence.

Another piece from the Hard Rock Summit hunt that I couldn’t leave behind.

Spessartine Garnet with Smoky Quartz
Wushan Spessartine Mine area, Tongbei, Yunxiao County, Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, China

The hunt continues… and the fire keeps getting stronger.

Smoky Quartz specimen from China.