Andradite

Calcium iron garnet. Its green gem variety, demantoid, disperses light into colors more strongly than diamond.

Andradite specimen — Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify andradite

Very bright, almost diamond-like luster.
Green, yellow, brown or black dodecahedral crystals.
Hardness 6.5–7.

Often confused with

Grossular
Grossular is less brilliant and slightly lighter.
Compare side by side
Olivine
Peridot isn't as fiery and isn't cubic.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

Ural Mountains, Russia
Namibia
Val Malenco, Italy
Arizona

Uses

Gemstones.

Rock tumbling

Great for tumbling.

Did you know?

Demantoid's 'fire' (dispersion) is greater than diamond's.

Think you could spot it from a blurry close-up?

Play today's Rocksday