Grossular is a calcium aluminum silicate mineral. It is a member of the Garnet Group of minerals. Grossular Garnet is the state gemstone of Vermont. The name grossular is derived from the botanical name for the gooseberry, grossularia, in reference to the green color of the garnet originally found in Russia. Grossular has several well-known varieties: Tsavorite (emerald green), Hessonite (orange to orange-brown), and Rosolite (pink to raspberry-red).
Realgar is an arsenic sulfide mineral. It was originally called “ruby sulfur” in early times because of its rich red to orange-red color and noxious components. Realgar has a long history of use as a poison (“bull’s blood”) in ancient Greece as well as a medicine in traditional Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic practices.
