Eclogite

Hardness (7-7.5), distinct red-orange color from garnet and green from omphacite pyroxene. It has a high density and granular texture, typically showing a massive or slightly foliated structure.

Formed under conditions of high pressure (>1.2 GPa) and moderate to high temperatures at depths of more than 45-60 km in the subduction zones of the Earth's mantle.

Primarily of interest to geologists and collectors; can be used as a heavy-duty construction aggregate or very rarely as a source of industrial garnet and low-grade jade substitute.

Known as the 'Christmas Rock' because of its distinctive red-green color pattern. It represents a fragment of the Earth's deep crust or mantle brought to the surface through tectonic processes.

Identify in the field by its high specific gravity (it feels heavy for its size) and the presence of red pyrope garnets set in a grass-green omphacite matrix. Commonly found in mountain belts where subducted plates have been exhumed.