RocksdayAnalcime vs Garnet
How to tell them apart
A zeolite forming glassy 24-faced crystals in basalt cavities.
Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0
A family of silicate minerals that grow as round, many-faced crystals. Deep red almandine studding schist is the classic find.
Photo: Moha112100, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick tests
- Hardness: Garnet is clearly harder: Mohs 7–7.5 versus 5–5.5.
- Heft: Garnet feels noticeably heavier for its size (specific gravity 3.9–4.3 vs 2.24–2.29).
Key differences
- Garnet is colored and harder.
Side by side
| Property | Analcime | Garnet |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 5–5.5 | 7–7.5 |
| Luster | Vitreous | Vitreous |
| Streak | White | White |
| Colors | Clear, White, Pink | Red, Brown |
| Crystal system | Cubic | Cubic |
| Specific gravity | 2.24–2.29 | 3.9–4.3 |
| Formula | NaAlSi₂O₆·H₂O | Fe₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃ (almandine) |
| Found in | Cyclopean Isles, Sicily; Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec | Gore Mountain, New York; Emerald Creek, Idaho |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify analcime
- Clear to white trapezohedra (ball-like, 24 faces).
- In cavities of basalt with other zeolites.
- Hardness about 5.
Crystal system: Cubic
Full Analcime guide →How to identify garnet
- Ball-shaped crystals with 12 or 24 faces.
- Deep wine-red to brown.
- Scratches glass.
- Often embedded in mica schist.
Crystal system: Cubic
Full Garnet guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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