RocksdayEclogite vs Garnet
How to tell them apart
A striking red-and-green rock of garnet and green pyroxene formed at great depth.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Woudloper assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain
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
- Texture: Eclogite is a rock — a mix of grains or minerals; Garnet is a single mineral.
Key differences
- Garnet is the mineral; eclogite is the whole rock.
Side by side
| Property | Eclogite | Garnet |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Metamorphic rock | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 6–7 | 7–7.5 |
| Luster | Vitreous | Vitreous |
| Streak | — | White |
| Colors | Green, Red | Red, Brown |
| Crystal system / structure | Coarse, garnet and omphacite | Cubic |
| Specific gravity | 3.4–3.6 | 3.9–4.3 |
| Formula | — | Fe₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃ (almandine) |
| Found in | Western Norway; Western Alps, Italy | Gore Mountain, New York; Emerald Creek, Idaho |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify eclogite
- Red garnets in a green matrix.
- Exceptionally heavy.
- Glassy, coarse crystals.
Structure: Coarse, garnet and omphacite
Full Eclogite 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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