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cubiccommonsilicates
Garnet
X3Y2(SiO4)3 (where X=Ca, Mg, Fe2+, Mn2+; Y=Al, Fe3+, Cr3+)
Garnet typically forms distinct, often euhedral, dodecahedral or trapezohedral crystals, ranging in color from deep red to reddish-brown, with a vitreous luster.
Garnet Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
6.5Crystal System
cubicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
noneFracture
conchoidalSpecific Gravity
3.1Colors
red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown, black, pink, colorlessTransparency
transparentType Locality
Garnet Ledge, Wrangell, southeastern Alaska, USAMineral Group
silicatesUses
jewelry, abrasive, waterjet cutting, filtration mediaAssociated Minerals
quartz, mica, feldspar, staurolite, kyaniteRarity
commonGeological Context
Garnets are characteristic minerals of medium to high-grade metamorphic rocks like schists and gneisses, forming under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure during regional metamorphism.
