RocksdayGarnet vs Staurolite
How to tell them apart
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
A brown metamorphic mineral whose twinned crystals often cross at 90° or 60°, forming natural crosses.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick tests
- Streak (rub on unglazed porcelain): Garnet leaves a white streak; Staurolite leaves white to gray.
Key differences
- Staurolite is brown and grows in elongated prisms, often crossed.
- Garnet grows as round balls, not prisms.
Side by side
| Property | Garnet | Staurolite |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 7–7.5 | 7–7.5 |
| Luster | Vitreous | Vitreous to resinous |
| Streak | White | White to gray |
| Colors | Red, Brown | Brown |
| Crystal system | Cubic | Monoclinic |
| Specific gravity | 3.9–4.3 | 3.74–3.83 |
| Formula | Fe₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃ (almandine) | Fe₂Al₉Si₄O₂₃(OH) |
| Found in | Gore Mountain, New York; Emerald Creek, Idaho | Fairy Stone State Park, Virginia; Fannin County, Georgia |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
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 →How to identify staurolite
- Reddish-brown prisms, often crossed like an X or +.
- Hard — scratches glass.
- Usually embedded in mica schist.
- Rough, dull surface on weathered crystals.
Crystal system: Monoclinic
Full Staurolite guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
Play today's Rocksday