umbalite

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A variety of garnet consisting of a mixture of pyrope, almandine, and spessartine, having the chemical formula Mg₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃-Mn²⁺₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃, exclusively found in the alluvial deposits of the River Umba, and having a light-pink to purple colour.
  2. A gemstone consisting of the mineral umbalite.

Word forms

umbalite umbalites

Etymology

Named for the Umba Valley of the Tanga Region of Tanzania, the location of the mineral’s first discovery in 1978: Umba + -lite.

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