umbalite

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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.

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Meanings

nounumbalite (usually uncountable, plural umbalites)

plural umbalites

  1. uncountableusuallyA 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.
  2. countableusuallyA 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.

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Cite this entry
APA

umbalite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/umbalite

MLA

“umbalite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/umbalite. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “umbalite,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/umbalite.

Source: umbalite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.