History · Geology
About Tongbei Mine
The Tongbei Mine (also written Tong-bei) in Yunxiao County, Fujian Province, is one of China’s premier sources of gem-quality mandarin-orange Spessartine garnet. Active since the late 1990s, the mine produces dodecahedral and trapezohedral Spessartine crystals up to 5 cm with vivid orange color and gem-cuttable transparency, often on smoky-quartz and feldspar pegmatite matrix. Tongbei material is the modern Chinese benchmark for orange garnet, paired with the historic German and Brazilian gem sources.
Geology & Signature Specimens
The deposit sits within Late Yanshanian granite-pegmatite intrusions of the Fujian metallogenic belt. Spessartine crystallized from miarolitic cavities in pegmatite cores, forming sharp orange dodecahedrons embedded in white feldspar with smoky-quartz prisms. Signature collector specimens are gemmy free-standing single crystals on cleaved feldspar matrix, with rare large gem specimens reaching faceted weights over 50 carats. Minor Schorl and Muscovite occur as accessories.
Minerals Produced Here
- Spessartine (锰铝榴石)
