mineral

Uvarovite

Ca3Cr2(SiO4)3

Hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, vibrant emerald-green color, vitreous to adamantine luster, crystal structure is isometric (dodecahedron or trapezohedron), specific gravity is roughly 3.77.

Identified August 3, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, vibrant emerald-green color, vitreous to adamantine luster, crystal structure is isometric (dodecahedron or trapezohedron), specific gravity is roughly 3.77.

Formation & geological history

Formed in chromium-rich metamorphic environments, commonly associated with serpentinites or skarns where hydrothermal fluids interact with chromite-bearing rocks.

Uses & applications

Primarily used as a rare and sought-after collector's mineral specimen, occasionally cut into small gemstones when crystal druzy allows.

Geological facts

Named after Count Sergei Semenovich Uvarov, a Russian statesman and amateur mineralogist. It is the only consistently green garnet species that is colored by chromium rather than vanadium or iron.

Field identification & locations

Easily identified by its distinctive brilliant green crystal druzy coating on a dark matrix. Notable localities include the Saranovskoye mine in the Ural Mountains of Russia, as well as occurrences in Finland, Turkey, and California, USA.