Uvarovite is the rarest member of the garnet group, instantly recognizable by its distinct, vibrant emerald-green color caused by its chromium content. It is most commonly found as small, brilliant, dodecahedral crystals coating a host rock as a druzy crust, rather than as large, distinct crystals.
Is this uvarovite?
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 uvarovite with a known reference. Uvarovite sits at Mohs 6.5-7, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: vitreous.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: emerald green, green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: cubic. Typical habit: crystalline, lamellar.
Often confused with
Uvarovite vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside uvarovite
Minerals reported to co-occur with uvarovite. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Ca₃Cr₂(SiO₄)₃
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5-7
- Density
- 3.77-3.81 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent
- Crystal system
- Cubic
- Crystal habit
- Crystalline, lamellar
- Cleavage
- None
- Fluorescence
- Red under SW and LW UV
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Collector, Lapidary
- Host rock
- From hydrothermal alteration of serpentinite containing chromite; in metamorphosed limestones and skarns from the reaction of dolomite and chromite
Where rockhounds find uvarovite
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Wood's Chrome mine, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania, USA
- Riddle, Grant Co., Oregon, USA
- Red Ledge mine, near Washington, Nevada Co., around Newcastle, Placer Co., near New Idria, San Benito Co., California, USA
- Saranovskii mine, Biserskoye, in the Gorozavod district, and other localities around Yekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk), Ural Mountains, Russia
- Outokumpu, Finland
- Pico do Posets, near Vénasque, Pyrenees, Spain
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: From hydrothermal alteration of serpentinite containing chromite; in metamorphosed limestones and skarns from the reaction of dolomite and chromite. If you start seeing chromite, diopside, zoisite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: crystalline, lamellar. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in California. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify uvarovite?+
Where is uvarovite found?+
Can I find uvarovite in the United States?+
What rocks look like uvarovite?+
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Find uvarovite on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
