The Kunz Garnet: The world’s largest perfectly formed Almandine Garnet Crystal

I was instantly fascinated to learn that a huge garnet crystal the size of bowling ball was once discovered in New York City. Either its a well kept secret, or I’m just ignorant, either way I got very curious to learn more about this amusing mineral crystal.

The Kunz Garnet - Quick Facts

Crystal Form and Habit: What makes this crystal even more interesting is that it is a combination of trapezohedron and dodecahedron forms. Dominated by trapezohedral faces with dodecahedral corner modifications

Weight: 9 Pounds 10 Ounces / 7 inches in diameter

Appearance: Reddish brown with yellowish green spots believed to be Chlorite inclusions.

Current Residence: American Museum of Natural History (not available for public viewing)

Present Day Manhattan, 35th Street between 7th Ave and Broadway

While there are several versions to the story of how the Kunz garnet was discovered, the most documented version is that it was unearthed during a NYC sewer excavation in August of 1885. Many versions reported the location of excavation at 35th Street between 7th Avenue and Broadway, while there were also reports of 35th and 10th and 52nd and 6th as location of excavation. Hence the Kunz Garnet is also referred to as the “Subway Garnet” and “Manhattan Garnet”.

The Garnet Crystal wasn't believed to be of much value or importance until it fell in to the grasp of the famed Tiffany&Co. Gemologist - George Fredrick Kuntz. As per reports, Kunz acquired the crystal for $100, and presented to the New York Mineralogical Club, which was later donated to the American Museum of Natural History. While the crystal was believed to have been on display to the public many years ago, the crystal hasn’t been on display to the public in the recent past. The Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems is closed to public due to renovation at the moment, and have not yet confirmed when they will re-open.

George F. Kunz

George Fredrick Kunz is regarded the greatest gemologist to have walked the earth. Mr. Kunz is one of the earliest known collector and author of mineralogical and gemological research. Apart from research, he also commercialized many colored stones including majority of Tiffany&Co’s legacy stones i.e Ruby, Montana Sapphire, Tsavorite Garnet, Kunzite and Morganite were introduced to the world by Mr. Kunz. Kunz personally donated many specimens to the American Museum of Natural History and was heavily involved in the curation and establishment of the Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems at the Museum of Natural History. He was also the first president of the New York Mineralogical Club. George F. Kunz published many journals and books on the subject of minerals and gemology that are very much relevant even today.

Logo of New York Mineralogical Club - in the middle is an illustration of the Kunz Garnet

Resources:

Betts, J. (n.d.). Accounts of the Discovery of the Subway Garnet (also known as the Kunz Garnet). Retrieved from http://www.johnbetts-fineminerals.com/jhbnyc/articles/kunz-gar.htm

Betts, J. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.johnbetts-fineminerals.com/jhbnyc/articles/kunz-gar.htm

Conrad, F. R. (2015). The Kunz Garnet. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/nyregion/subway-garnet-almandine-garnet-was-discovered-underground-in-manhattan-1885.html

Dean, J. (2014, May 4). thesubwaygarnet. Retrieved from https://jodylynndean.com/2015/05/04/welcome-to-the-subway-garnet-blog/

Famous ‘Subway Garnet’ Is Relegated to a Storage Drawer at the American Museum of Natural History. (2016, January 11). Retrieved from https://thejewelerblog.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/one-of-the-worlds-most-famous-garnets-is-relegated-to-a-storage-drawer-at-the-american-museum-of-natural-history/

George F. Kunz Bibliography. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research-george-kunz-bibliography

New York Mineralogical Club Logo. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.newyorkmineralogicalclub.org/bulletins/2015/10Oct15NYMCBulletins.pdf

Schimmrich, S. (2010, July 13). Manhattan Garnet. Retrieved from http://hudsonvalleygeologist.blogspot.com/2010/07/manhattan-garnet.html

Schulz, B. (2015, December 24). The Subway Garnet. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/nyregion/subway-garnet-almandine-garnet-was-discovered-underground-in-manhattan-1885.html

Virata, N. (2015, January 13). Daily What?! The World’s Largest Garnet Was Found in the NYC Subway. Retrieved from https://untappedcities.com/2015/01/13/daily-what-the-worlds-largest-garnet-was-found-in-the-nyc-subway/