mineral

Garnet

Almandine/Pyrope Garnet (Silicate Mineral Group)

Hardness: 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. Color: Deep red, reddish-brown, purplish-red. Luster: Vitreous to resinous. Crystal structure: Isometric (cubic), commonly forming dodecahedral or trapezohedral crystals. Cleavage: None (exhibits conchoidal fracture). Specific gravity: 3.5 to 4.3.

Hardness: 6
Color: Deep red, reddish-brown, purplish-red
Luster: Vitreous to resinous

Identified August 3, 2026More mineral →

Explore Garnet in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed predominantly in metamorphic rocks such as schists and gneisses through regional metamorphism of argillaceous sediments, and in igneous rocks like pegmatites and peridotites under high temperature and pressure.

Uses & applications

Widely used as a gemstone in jewelry, as an abrasive in waterjet cutting and sandblasting, and in industrial filtration media.

Geological facts

Garnets have been used as gemstones since the Bronze Age. The name comes from the Latin word 'granatus', meaning grain, likely referring to pomegranate seeds due to their similar color and shape.

Field identification & locations

Easily identified by its characteristic deep red color, lack of cleavage, and high hardness. Commonly found in stream placers, schist outcrops, and as xenoliths in volcanic pipes. Look for rounded or angular red granular crystals embedded in host rock.

Other mineral specimens

See all

Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

Soil with Mineral Detritus and Quartz Fragments

Regolith / Silicate Mineral Aggregate

sedimentary

Limonite / Goethite (Iron Ore Mineral nodule)

FeO(OH)·nH2O / FeO(OH)

mineral

Septarian Pebble

Septarian nodule / Concretion

sedimentary

Schist

Metamorphic

Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)

Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)

mineral