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Garnet localities are abundant throughout North American. Also found in South Africa, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Myanmar (Burma), Scotland, Switzerland and Tanzania.

Garnet is the name that can be applied to six similar mineral species, namely almandine, pyrope, spessartine, grossular, andradite and uvarovite. To further complicate matters, many garnets are actually a combination of these minerals. Rhodolite garnet for instance, is a combination of almandine and pyrope, and is sometimes referred to as pyrope-almandine garnet. There are also many trade names and other commonly used names that only add to the confusion. Names such as "cape ruby" are simply misleading and deceptive. Some garnets also exhibit color change and stars.

Spessartine, like other garnets, forms rounded crystals with 12 rhombic or 24 trapezoidal faces or combinations of these and some other forms. This crystal habit is classic for the garnet minerals. Spessartine is formed in manganese rich metamorphic environments and in some granitic pegmatites. Spessartine is somewhat rare but occasionally will accompany other minerals and make a nice accessory mineral to an outstanding mineral specimen.

Pyrope - Mg₂Al₂Si₃O₁₂	Color - deep red to reddish black Pyrope is from the Greek pyropos, "fire-eyed".
Almandine - Fe²₃⁺Al₂Si₃O₁₂	Color - deep red to brown Almandine is named after Alabanda, a town of ancient Caria (Asia Minor).
Rhodalite - a cross between Pyrope & Almandine	Color - pale purplish red Rhodalite is named after the Rhododendron shrub.
Spessartine - Mn₃Al₂Si₃O₁₂	Color - brownish red to hyacinth-red Spessartine is named after an occurrence in the Spessart district, Bavaria, Germany.
Grossular - Ca₃Al₂Si₃O₁₂	Color - white, yellow, pink, green, brown Grossular is from the New Latin grossularia, "gooseberry", because some grossular crystals are pale green like the fruit.
Andradite - Ca₃Fe³₂⁺Si₃O₁₂	Color - wine red, greenish, yellow Andradite is named after J. B. de Andrada e Silva (1763 - 1838) Brazilian geologist.
Uvarovite - Ca₃Cr₂Si₃O₁₂	Color - emerald-green Uvarovite is named after Count S. S. Uvarov (1785 - 1855), Russian statesman and mineral collector.