What is Topazolite?
Topazolite is a yellow to yellow-green variety of andradite garnet, usually found in skarns and valued for lustre and crystal form.
Mineralogy and structure
Reference formula: Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3. Topazolite is a variety name for yellow andradite-rich material, not a separate mineral species. It should remain linked to the canonical Andradite page. Topazolite belongs to the silicates and has a cubic crystal system. The attached COD image is a labelled representative andradite-host model, not a separate topazolite species lattice. Typical hardness is 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale and specific gravity is approximately 3.7–3.9.
Colour and appearance
Typical colours include yellow, yellow-green, greenish yellow. The usual dodecahedral, granular habit and vitreous, resinous lustre are useful descriptive features, but colour alone is not diagnostic.
Formation and localities
Topazolite forms in or is associated with contact-metamorphic skarns and calcium-rich metamorphic rocks. Important documented localities include Italy, Russia, Namibia, Mexico, Switzerland and the United States. A precise locality and host rock are more useful than a broad colour label.
Collecting notes
Topazolite should be labelled as a confirmed species, variety or group-level reference according to the evidence available for the specimen. Record colour, transparency, crystal form, matrix, locality and any treatment history.
