Rhodolite Garnet

Rhodolite is a varietal name for rose-pink to red mineral pyrope, a species in the garnet group. It is found in Cowee Valley, Macon County, North Carolina.[2] The name is derived from the Greek for "rose-like", in common with many pink mineral types (e.g. rhodochrosite, rhodonite), but rhodolite itself is not officially recognised as a mineralogical term. This colouration, and the commonly inclusion-free nature of garnet from this locality, has led to rhodolite being used as a semi-precious gemstone. Chemically, rhodolite is an iron-magnesium-aluminium silicate, part of the pyrope-almandine solid-solution series, with an approximate garnet composition of Py70Al30. Rhodolite garnet is a January birthstone.