Red garnet crystal (probable almandine)

Small dark red, translucent crystal with vitreous luster and conchoidal-to-uneven fracture; garnet is typically Mohs 6.5–7.5, cubic/isometric, with no cleavage and relatively high density (about 3.9–4.3).

Garnets commonly form during medium- to high-grade metamorphism of aluminous rocks, though some occur in igneous rocks and sediments; their ages range from ancient Precambrian to much younger geological settings.

Gem-quality garnet is cut for jewelry; lesser material is used as an abrasive and waterjet medium. This irregular fragment is more likely a specimen than a finished gemstone.

The deep wine-red color strongly suggests almandine or pyrope, but image identification cannot reliably distinguish garnet from red glass, ruby, or other minerals without tests.

Look for a hard, glassy, cleavage-free grain and commonly dodecahedral or trapezohedral crystal faces; a streak test, hardness test, loupe examination, and refractive-index or specific-gravity measurement can confirm it. Common sources include India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Brazil, Africa, and the United States.