[gros-yuh-luh-rahyt] 
| a mineral, calcium aluminum garnet, Ca3Al2Si3O12, occurring in gray-white to pinkish crystals. |
| gros·su·la·rite (grŏs'yə-lə-rīt') n. A pale green, pink, brown, or black garnet, Ca3Al2(SiO4)3, occurring alone or as a constituent of the common garnet. [German Grossularit, from New Latin Grossulāria, former genus of gooseberry (from the color of some garnets), from French groseille, gooseberry, from Old French grosele, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch kroes, curled.] |
grossularite
a calcium aluminum garnet that sometimes resembles the gooseberry fruit. It can be colourless (when pure), white, yellow, brown, red, or green. Massive greenish grossular, though only superficially resembling jade, is sometimes marketed under the name South African, or Transvaal, jade in an attempt to increase its selling price. Nearly all grossular used for faceted gems is orange to reddish brown. The reddish brown material is called cinnamon stone, or hessonite. Grossular typically exhibits internal swirls, which help to distinguish it from spessartine, which is clear. It is ordinarily found in metamorphic rocks. See also garnet.
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