Guide
Almandine specimens for sale
37 for sale · $30–$7,000 USD
156 in the gallery
Almandine is a garnet, typically forming red to deep red crystals with a characteristic dodecahedral or trapezohedral habit and a vitreous to resinous luster. The mineral crystallizes in the isometric system, commonly presenting dodecahedral shapes and sometimes euhedral prisms, with a color range from wine to ruby red that is often enhanced by light reflections on well-formed faces. In many deposits, almandine occurs alongside other garnet varieties and in metamorphic rocks such as schists and marbles, where it can be a prominent, gemmy to saturated mineral within the matrix.
- Formula
- Fe2+3Al2(SiO4)3
- Rarity
- Common
- Stability
- Stable
- Collector interest
- Moderate Interest
- Classification notes
- Nesosilicate; garnet group
Key characteristics
- Crystal system
- isometric
- Mohs hardness
- 7–7.5
- Specific gravity
- 4.05–4.32
- Luster
- vitreous, resinous
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent, opaque
- Color
- red, brown, black, violet
- Streak
- white
- Cleavage
- none
- Fracture
- conchoidal, uneven
- Crystal habit
- dodecahedral, granular, massive, equant
- Gem mineral
- Classic / historic
Buy Almandine specimens
View all 37Where Almandine is found
Top localities
- Garnet Ledge9 specimens
- Piani di Verdabbio3 specimens
- Berkshire County2 specimens
- Granatenkogel North Slope2 specimens
- Ötz valley2 specimens
- Tyrol2 specimens
- Thomas Range2 specimens
- Garnet Hill2 specimens
- Mount Mica Quarry, Paris2 specimens
- Brazil1 specimen
Guides
All guidesAbout Almandine
Notable specimens come from locations like the USA, Austria, Switzerland, Madagascar, and Norway, where high-quality crystals have been recovered in pegmatites and schistose layers. Collectors prize almandine for its rich color, sharp crystal forms, and the context it provides within metamorphic assemblages. Fine crystals from classic European localities stand out for their pristine terminations, while Madagascar specimens are celebrated for robust color and good transparency. Almandine can be enjoyed as single sharp crystals or as part of mineral aggregates within a rock slice, making it a durable choice for both display and study.
