Guide
Andradite specimens for sale
80 for sale · $50–$5,000 USD
494 in the gallery
Andradite is a garnet species that forms as an inosilicate bearing calcium and iron in its composition, commonly presenting a dark green to brownish black hue. It often displays a glassy to resinous lustre and can crystallize in dodecahedral and trapezohedral habits, sometimes forming sizable, well-terminated crystals that attract careful examining and cleaning. Collectors prize clean, gemmy crystals from classic localities for their striking color and cutability, with Madagascar and Italy among historically productive sources.
- Formula
- Ca3Fe3+2(SiO4)3
- Rarity
- Common
- Stability
- Stable
- Collector interest
- Moderate Interest
- Classification notes
- Silicate; Nesosilicate; Garnet group (A3B2(SiO4)3)
Key characteristics
- Crystal system
- isometric
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5–7
- Specific gravity
- 3.7–4.1
- Luster
- vitreous, resinous, adamantine
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent, opaque
- Color
- colorless, yellow, green, brown, red, black
- Streak
- white
- Cleavage
- none
- Fracture
- conchoidal, uneven
- Crystal habit
- dodecahedral, granular, massive, equant
- Gem mineral
- Classic / historic
Buy Andradite specimens
View all 80Where Andradite is found
Top localities
- Wessels Mine31 specimens
- Quartzite Mountain18 specimens
- Stanley Butte16 specimens
- N'Chwaning II Mine11 specimens
- Shijiangshan Mine11 specimens
- Huanggang Mine10 specimens
- N'Chwaning Mines10 specimens
- Marki Khel7 specimens
- Italy6 specimens
- Diakon6 specimens
Guides
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About Andradite
Notable specimens have come from other regions as well, where intense igneous activity and specific mineral associations promote robust growth. Andradite garnets can occur in skarns and high-temperature metasomatic environments, contributing to a range of crystal forms from compact to elongated prisms. For collectors, the appeal lies in the depth of color, the potential for large, transparent crystals, and the variation in crystal shape that showcases the mineral’s structural versatility without requiring special treatments to reveal its natural beauty.
