Pyrope is a magnesium-rich member of the garnet group, prized for its vivid red color. It is typically found in peridotites and kimberlites, often forming as a breakdown product from high-pressure metamorphic environments.
Is this pyrope?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch pyrope with a known reference. Pyrope sits at Mohs 7-7.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Pyrope leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Pyrope typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: red, purplish-red, orangey-red.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: dodecahedral and trapezohedral crystals.
Often confused with
Pyrope vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside pyrope
Minerals reported to co-occur with pyrope. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Mg₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃
- Mohs hardness
- 7-7.5
- Density
- 3.5-3.8 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Dodecahedral and Trapezohedral Crystals
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Gemstone, Collector, Abrasive
- Host rock
- Ultramafic Rocks and Kimberlite Pipes
- Typical price
- $10-100 per carat for facet-grade material
Where rockhounds find pyrope
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Bohemia (Czech Republic)
- South Africa
- United States
- Russia
- Tanzania
Field-hunting tip
Look in ultramafic rocks and kimberlite pipes country, the host setting where pyrope typically forms. If you start seeing diamond, olivine, enstatite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a dodecahedral and trapezohedral crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Alabama, Utah. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find pyrope on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
