Rhodolite is a beautiful rose-red to violet-red variety of garnet that represents an intermediate member of the pyrope-almandine solid solution series. It is highly valued as a gemstone due to its high refractive index and excellent clarity, often found in metamorphic rocks like gneiss or schist.
Is this rhodolite?
4-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 rhodolite with a known reference. Rhodolite sits at Mohs 7-7.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 3Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pink, red, purple.
- 4Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: dodecahedral crystals.
Often confused with
Rhodolite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside rhodolite
Minerals reported to co-occur with rhodolite. 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
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Dodecahedral crystals
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Gemstone, Collector
- Host rock
- metamorphic rocks
Where rockhounds find rhodolite
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Kenya
- Madagascar
- USA
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: metamorphic rocks. If you start seeing quartz, mica, feldspar in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: dodecahedral crystals. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Alabama, North Carolina. Start trip planning there.
More rhodolite photos
Common questions
How do you identify rhodolite?+
Where is rhodolite found?+
Can I find rhodolite in the United States?+
What rocks look like rhodolite?+
What minerals are found with rhodolite?+
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Find rhodolite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
