About three or four years ago we took a summer vacation trip to Northern and Western Idaho. One of our camp sites was near Emerald Creek, where the famous Idaho Star Garnets can sometimes be found so we spent several hours one day panning the piles of sand that the forest service scoops up for rock hunters (you can't actually get into Emerald Creek anymore) and found a nice number of small to medium sized garnets. We finally got around to finishing them in the rock tumbler this winter, and here are some of the best of the lot. They are so dark they appear black, like obsidian, in most lights, but when back-lit you can definitely see the grape purple colors, as well as a variety of sizes and shapes of inclusion. I'll probably wire wrap most of these with a cage type wrap and make a necklace and earrings. The largest of the lot is just about the right size for a small pendant, about 7/8th of an inch long.