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 — that is 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.
