Almandine Garnet

The almandine garnet is a red variety of garnet. The colour can range from a brownish red to a purplish red. Almandine is one of the most abundant types of garnet, however, there are comparatively few examples that are of gem quality. The name almandine is derived from Pliny the Elder, who described a stone from the Asian town of Albanda, located in Caria. Deposits of almandine garnet have been found in Brazil, India, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and the USA.