Description
Raspberry Red Beryl & Garnet Replaced (Pseudomorphed) by Sanadine Feldspar and Hematite & Topaz with Bixbyites ? Location: Thomas Range (Topaz Mountain) Juab Co. Utah. Thumbnail (see photo for more details). This specimen was collected in 1985 by John Holfert; this specimen is from the John Holfert private collection. Here we have a really interesting and very ?RARE? combination specimen. This by the way was the best combination of this type that I have collected. We have a spessartine garnet crystal that has been replaced (pseudomorphed) by hematite with an a partial outer coating of Sanadine feldspar with a red beryl crystal and several topaz crystals perched on it. When it comes to red beryl Utah is the ?place?. Red beryl was first discovered and described by Maynard Bixby from the Thomas Range (type locality) in the late 1890s. By the way Maynard Bixby also first discovered and described bixbyite from this same locale. First let me just say that the combination of these minerals (on the same specimen) is extremely rare. The beryl is a gemmy raspberry pink color along with a glassy luster. The ?original? garnet crystal has been pseudomorphed by sharply formed specular hematite crystals and then partially over coated with a ?coating? of well-formed and sharp white to off-white colored sanadine feldspar crystals. There are also several sharply formed pale amber colored topaz crystals. The sanadine feldspar crystals will fluoresce a magenta color with SHORT wave ultraviolet light (not shown).
