Garnet
Garnet group
Uncommon · X₃Y₂(SiO₄)₃
A silicate mineral group spanning a wide range of compositions and colours. Forms primarily in metamorphic rocks under moderate to high pressure. Used as an abrasive due to its hardness and lack of cleavage.
Identity
- Formula
- X₃Y₂(SiO₄)₃
- Chemical class
- Silicate
- Members
- Pyrope, Almandine, Spessartine, Grossular, Andradite, Uvarovite
- Mineral group
- Demantoid, Grossular, Spessartine, Tsavorite, Uvarovite
- Also known as
- Hessonite (variety of grossular), Tsavorite (variety of grossular), Demantoid (variety of andradite)
Crystallography
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Habits
- Dodecahedral, Trapezohedral, Granular, Massive
- Fracture
- Conchoidal
Physical properties
- Mohs hardness
- 7
- Density
- 3.9 g/cm³
- Luster
- Vitreous, Resinous
- Colors
- red, garnet-red, orange, yellow, green, brown, black
- Streak
- white
- Transparency
- Transparent, Translucent
Geology
- Origins
- Metamorphic, Igneous
- Host rocks
- Granite, Ultramafic rock (peridotite, serpentinite), Schist and gneiss
- Associated minerals
- Quartz, feldspar, Mica, Kyanite
- Found in
- Gneiss, Pegmatite, Schist, Kimberlite pipe, Pegmatite deposit, Placer deposit, Skarn
- Geography
- India, Brazil, USA, Czech Republic, Sri Lanka
Classification
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Gem quality
- Yes
Arcane properties
- Affinity
- Fire, Earth
- Effects
- Elemental fire, Warding
- Planar origin
- Material Plane
Sources
- Garnet Group. Mindat.org (Hudson Institute of Mineralogy).
- M. Pasero and others, IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification, The New IMA List of Minerals, updated September 2026. International Mineralogical Association (CNMNC), 2026.
- J. W. Anthony, R. A. Bideaux, K. W. Bladh, M. C. Nichols, Pyrope. Mineralogical Society of America, Handbook of Mineralogy, 2021.
- J. W. Anthony, R. A. Bideaux, K. W. Bladh, M. C. Nichols, Almandine. Mineral Data Publishing, Handbook of Mineralogy, 2001.
- J. W. Anthony, R. A. Bideaux, K. W. Bladh, M. C. Nichols, Spessartine. Mineral Data Publishing, Handbook of Mineralogy, 2001.
- J. W. Anthony, R. A. Bideaux, K. W. Bladh, M. C. Nichols, Grossular. Mineral Data Publishing, Handbook of Mineralogy, 2001.
- J. W. Anthony, R. A. Bideaux, K. W. Bladh, M. C. Nichols, Andradite. Mineral Data Publishing, Handbook of Mineralogy, 2001.
- J. W. Anthony, R. A. Bideaux, K. W. Bladh, M. C. Nichols, Uvarovite. Mineral Data Publishing, Handbook of Mineralogy, 2001.
- Garnet Group. Gemdat.org (Hudson Institute of Mineralogy).
- Garnet (Industrial), Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026. U.S. Geological Survey, 2026.
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