You know that old saying about one man's trash? Ever heard of ant hill garnets? These small, reddish-brown crystals fall under this adage but with one change to say, "One ant's trash..." Found in the mounds of harvester ants, these garnets are fascinating gemstones that have been collected and admired for hundreds of years.
WHAT ARE ANT HILL GARNETS?
Ant hill garnets, also called Arizona rubies, are typically chromium pyrope garnets. One of six main types of garnet, these are the deep red color that most people think of when picturing a garnet. The word pyrope comes from the Greek pyr and ops which mean "fire eye."
FYI - Almandine garnets can also be found around ant hills. The difference between pyrope and almandine is in the dominant mineral they contain. Almandine is iron (Fe) dominant and pyrope is magnesium (Mg) dominant.
Ant hill garnets are typically small, ranging in size from a grain of sand to a pea. They are often rough and irregularly shaped. Ant hill garnets rank between 6.5 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale, making them strong enough to be worn every day. These brilliant gems are small but mighty!
CARNET ANTS
Ants have sometimes been called the world's oldest prospecting tool. These tiny miners give us a glimpse into what's beneath the surface.
ãã®èšäºã¯ Rock&Gem Magazine ã® October 2023 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Rock&Gem Magazine ã® October 2023 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
Rockhounding Ohio's Lake Erie Islands
A short ferry boat ride three miles from Ohioâs Lake Erie coastline is South Bass Island, better known as Put-in-Bay or the âKey West of the North.â
Iowa's Hidden Treasures
Exploring Keokuk Geodes: How They're Made & What's Inside
Agatized CORAL
Florida's Collectible State Stone
Rockhounding Florida's Beaches
Beachcombing serene stretches of Florida can reveal fascinating finds like fossilized shark teeth, sea glass, quartz, agate and even coral fragments.
Collecting Staurolite
Hot Spots In Virginia & Georgia
Pecos Valley Diamonds
New Mexico's Ancient Attraction
12 Tips for Rockhounding Tucson's Greatest Shows
Tucson in February becomes the international hub for buying and selling colored gems, rocks, minerals and fossils.
Turquoise in the American Southwest
A Water & Sky Souvenir
Touring Colorado's MINERAL BELT
It's a Showcase of Mining History & Minerals
Geology &Colorado's Taurish Traiks
Most of Coloradoâs tourist trains today were originally constructed in the late 1800s to serve the stateâs lucrative mining operations.