RocksdayEudialyte vs Garnet
The quickest way to tell Eudialyte from Garnet: Garnet is clearly harder: Mohs 7–7.5 versus 5–5.5.
A complex sodium-zirconium silicate, usually raspberry red, from nepheline syenites.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0
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 2.8–3.1).
Key differences
- Garnet is harder (about 7) and heavier.
Side by side
| Property | Eudialyte | Garnet |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 5–5.5 | 7–7.5 |
| Luster | Vitreous | Vitreous |
| Streak | White | White |
| Colors | Red, Pink, Brown | Red, Brown |
| Crystal system | Trigonal | Cubic |
| Specific gravity | 2.8–3.1 | 3.9–4.3 |
| Formula | — | Fe₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃ (almandine) |
| Found in | Khibiny, Kola Peninsula, Russia; Ilímaussaq, Greenland | Gore Mountain, New York; Emerald Creek, Idaho |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify eudialyte
- Raspberry-red masses or blocky crystals in a pale syenite.
- Hardness about 5–5.5 — a knife scratches it.
- Not as heavy as garnet.
Crystal system: Trigonal
Full Eudialyte 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
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between eudialyte and garnet?
Eudialyte is a mineral with a Mohs hardness of 5–5.5 and a vitreous luster, usually red, pink or brown. Garnet is a mineral with a Mohs hardness of 7–7.5 and a vitreous luster, usually red or brown.
How can you tell eudialyte from garnet?
Garnet is clearly harder: Mohs 7–7.5 versus 5–5.5. Garnet feels noticeably heavier for its size (specific gravity 3.9–4.3 vs 2.8–3.1). Garnet is harder (about 7) and heavier.
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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