Calcium-iron garnet. The variety demantoid is one of the most valuable garnets, prized for its high dispersion exceeding diamond. Color: Yellow-green, green demantoid , black melanite. Luster: Vitreous to adamantine. Streak: White. Cleavage: None. Hardness: 6.5-7. Transparency: Transparent to opaque. Crystal system: Isometric Cubic. Chemical formula: Ca₃Fe₂ SiO₄ ₃. Specific gravity: 3.7-3.9. Formation: Forms in skarns, serpentinites, and contact metamorphic zones around mafic intrusions. Common geological settings: Russia demantoid , Italy, USA, Namibia; found in skarns and serpentinites. Common look-alikes and related entries: Grossular, Epidote, Peridot.
These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.
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GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T14:36:48.170865+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
IMA–CNMNC List of Mineral Names — International Mineralogical Association. Official mineral-name, nomenclature, and classification records.
Mineral ID Key — Mineralogical Society of America. Physical-property identification methods, repeat-testing guidance, and limitations.
Calcium-iron garnet. The variety demantoid is one of the most valuable garnets, prized for its high dispersion exceeding diamond.
How can you identify Andradite?
Compare several properties rather than relying on colour alone. This entry records colour: Yellow-green, green demantoid , black melanite; lustre: Vitreous to adamantine; streak: White; Mohs hardness: 6.5-7; cleavage: None; crystal system: Isometric Cubic; transparency: Transparent to opaque. Confirm an important identification with additional field tests or qualified laboratory work.
How does Andradite form?
Forms in skarns, serpentinites, and contact metamorphic zones around mafic intrusions.
Where is Andradite commonly found?
Russia demantoid , Italy, USA, Namibia; found in skarns and serpentinites.
What is Andradite commonly confused with?
Andradite may be confused with Grossular, Epidote, Peridot. Compare multiple diagnostic properties because colour and surface appearance can overlap.
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