RocksdayAndradite vs Grossular
How to tell them apart
Calcium iron garnet. Its green gem variety, demantoid, disperses light into colors more strongly than diamond.
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0
Calcium aluminum garnet in more colors than any other garnet — green tsavorite and cinnamon hessonite are the best known.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0
Key differences
- Grossular is less brilliant and slightly lighter.
Side by side
| Property | Andradite | Grossular |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 6.5–7 | 6.5–7.5 |
| Luster | Adamantine to vitreous | Vitreous |
| Streak | White | White |
| Colors | Green, Yellow, Brown, Black | Green, Orange, Brown, Pink |
| Crystal system | Cubic | Cubic |
| Specific gravity | 3.8–3.9 | 3.57–3.73 |
| Formula | Ca₃Fe₂(SiO₄)₃ | Ca₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃ |
| Found in | Ural Mountains, Russia; Namibia | Tsavo, Kenya; Tanzania |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify andradite
- Very bright, almost diamond-like luster.
- Green, yellow, brown or black dodecahedral crystals.
- Hardness 6.5–7.
Crystal system: Cubic
Full Andradite guide →How to identify grossular
- Rounded garnet crystals in green, orange, pink or brown.
- Hardness about 7.
- Hessonite often looks 'swirly' inside, like syrup in water.
Crystal system: Cubic
Full Grossular guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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