24K reactions · 717 shares | Sapphire miners along the Umba River in Tanzania were the first to find malaya garnets in the 1960s. However, gem dealers in East Africa didn't want them, as they didn’t fit the mold of any of the known garnet types. These miners dubbed them malaya, the Swahili word for "outcast." Video Credits: IG  naturedecolours | International Gem Society | Facebook

SPESSATINE GARNET Spessartine is a silicate mineral, to get a bit technical, with a chemical formula of (Mn₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃ - that’s manganese aluminium silicate for you brainy types. It gets its name from the Spessart region in Germany, where it was first discovered. Now, as garnets go, this one’s a bit of a show-off when it comes to its colours. The bright oranges are thanks to the manganese content, while iron sneaks in sometimes to darken it up to more of a brownish-red. You’ll often find it crys