Andradite (var. Melanite)

Here's a great specimen! One large black andradite garnet with faces that are largely trapezohedral faces with smaller dodecahedral faces. Usually, the dodecahedron is dominant! The stria between the two crystal forms produces a reflective sheen. The crystal is accompanied by some smaller (1-3mm) epidote crystals around its base. Nice!

This is an example of one of three types of andradite garnet, namely the variety Melanite, named after the Greek word "melanos", meaning black, due to the presence of Titanium. These intergrown dodecahedral crystals occur in skarns in contact metamorphosed, impure limestones. The matrix is composed of massive albite, a plagioclase feldspar mineral. From the famous Draa-Tafilalet region of Morocco.
DDJ