umbalite

Meaning

Noun

• 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.
• A gemstone consisting of the mineral umbalite.

Origin

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