 |
| Rough Ant Hill Garnet |
The Short Version...
The unique part of Arizona Anthill Garnets is this that they are found around the Ant Hills. Anthill Garnets are also called Arizona Chrome Pyrope Garnet. ... The ants excavate the garnets from underground passages. The ants take the stone to the surface and discard them.
 |
| Hand Cut Ant Hill Garnet |
We are so excited to be adding Ant Hill Garnets to our Cruelty-Free Collection. To us, this is Wonderful. When we can find beautiful rough gemstones here in the US to hand cut in our NC studio plus
mined by Ants!...
It's a win win for everyone.
Now, The Long Version...
Some gemstones derive a large portion of their appeal because they are found in an unexpected locality or have an unusual origin. "Ant hill garnets" are one of the more interesting of these "novelty gems."
They are called "ant hill garnets" because they are found on and around the margins of ant hills. The ants encounter the garnets while excavating their underground passages. The ants haul the stones to the surface and discard them. The rain washes the garnets clean and moves them down the flank of the ant hill, where they can accumulate in large numbers. This concentrates the little gems and makes them easy for people to collect. Their brilliant luster and red color contrasts strongly with the surrounding soil.
Author: Hobart M. King, Ph.D., GIA Graduate Gemologist
