Hessonite Garnet from Žulová, Czech Republic

This specimen displays numerous honey-brown to reddish-brown hessonite crystals on a light-colored matrix. It comes from Žulová, formerly known as Friedeberg, in the Czech part of the Jeseník Mountains.

Hessonite is an orange to reddish-brown variety of grossular. The well-formed crystals on this specimen reach approximately 9 mm and display a distinct vitreous luster under direct lighting. White to colorless associated minerals between the garnets provide a contrasting background.

The crystals are distributed across several areas of the matrix. With a length of 6.5 cm, the piece belongs to the small cabinet specimen size category.

Hessonite from the Classic Žulová Locality

Žulová in the Olomouc Region, historically known by the German name Friedeberg, is a classic European locality for hessonite. The garnets occur there in calc-silicate skarn rocks and commonly form dodecahedral crystals. Hessonite from Žulová is particularly known for its honey-brown, orange-brown, and reddish-brown colors.

The combination of numerous crystals, distinct vitreous luster, and historic European provenance makes this specimen a characteristic locality example from the Jeseník Mountains.