How do you care for andradite?

It rates 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Clean it with warm water and a soft cloth, and keep it out of ultrasonic tanks and steamers.

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A stone guide

Andradite

Q: What is often mistaken for andradite?

Black tourmaline. Schorl forms striated prisms; melanite forms equant faceted balls.

Demantoid's dispersion, its rainbow fire, exceeds diamond's, which is exactly what its name means in old Dutch.

Nesosilicate (garnet group)MadagascarSee treatment disclosure

Andradite is nesosilicate (garnet group), Ca₃Fe₂(SiO₄)₃. In the hand, it rates 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, and it runs green (demantoid) and yellow-green. Calcium-iron garnet spanning brilliant green demantoid to glossy black melanite, always in rounded 12- or 24-faced crystals with near-diamond luster.

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Family

Nesosilicate (garnet group)

Mohs

6.5 to 7

System

Isometric

Luster

Adamantine to resinous

Gravity

3.8 to 3.9

Light

Transparent to opaque

What it is

The geology.

Andradite carries the formula Ca₃Fe₂(SiO₄)₃. It belongs to the isometric system. Catalogs list it as nesosilicate (garnet group).

It sits at 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. The surface reads adamantine to resinous. Light behavior is transparent to opaque. Specific gravity runs 3.8 to 3.9. The streak is white. It breaks with no cleavage; conchoidal fracture.

Calcium-iron garnet spanning brilliant green demantoid to glossy black melanite, always in rounded 12- or 24-faced crystals with near-diamond luster.

It reaches buyers as dodecahedral crystals, druzy crusts, faceted demantoid or black melanite clusters.

Where it comes from

The origins.

Skarns and serpentinites; demantoid from Russia (Urals), Namibia, Madagascar; melanite from Mali, Mexico, San Benito (USA).

On value, the database notes: melanite affordable; fine demantoid is among the priciest garnets.

What people work with it for

Traditional associations.

In energy work traditions, associated with vitality and dynamic creative energy.

We keep this section because people ask. It sits below the geology on purpose, and none of it describes something the stone does.

What to look for

Spotting the real thing.

Calcium-iron garnet spanning brilliant green demantoid to glossy black melanite, always in rounded 12- or 24-faced crystals with near-diamond luster.

Green glass and chrome diopside are sold as demantoid; horsetail inclusions are a badge of genuine Ural stones.

Looks like	How to tell them apart
Black tourmaline	Schorl forms striated prisms; melanite forms equant faceted balls
Peridot	Demantoid has higher fire and forms dodecahedra, not granular masses
Green glass	Bubbles, light weight, molded shapes

Check it yourself

At-home tests.

Before anyone talks you into a lab report, these are the checks worth doing yourself on andradite.

Test	What you should see
By eye	Dodecahedral form and brilliant luster
By eye	Heavy in hand (SG ~3.85)
Under a loupe	Demantoid often shows golden 'horsetail' fiber inclusions under a loupe

Destructive tests belong to a gemologist, not a kitchen table. If a piece matters to you, pay for an appraisal before you take a file to it.

How to live with it

Care & handling.

At 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale it handles careful wear but scratches against quartz and dust. Store it separately and take rings off before rough work.

It breaks with no cleavage; conchoidal fracture, which is worth knowing before you set it or drop it.

Clean it by hand, dry it properly, and keep it away from ultrasonic cleaners and hot steam.

Pairs well with.

For the serious reader

A deeper look.

Extended detail on composition, sourcing, authentication and market value.

The physical record

The formula on record is Ca₃Fe₂(SiO₄)₃. Crystal system: Isometric. Specific gravity: 3.8 to 3.9. Streak: White. Cleavage and fracture: No cleavage; conchoidal fracture.

How it reaches the market

Skarns and serpentinites; demantoid from Russia (Urals), Namibia, Madagascar; melanite from Mali, Mexico, San Benito (USA).

What it gets confused with

Black tourmaline: Schorl forms striated prisms; melanite forms equant faceted balls. Peridot: Demantoid has higher fire and forms dodecahedra, not granular masses. Green glass: Bubbles, light weight, molded shapes.

What it is worth

Melanite affordable; fine demantoid is among the priciest garnets.

Where buyers get caught

Green glass and chrome diopside are sold as demantoid; horsetail inclusions are a badge of genuine Ural stones.

One more thing

Demantoid's dispersion, its rainbow fire, exceeds diamond's, which is exactly what its name means in old Dutch.

From the Beyond Bohemian library

An education-first guide.

We publish this guide from our research and years of experience with crystals, so you can understand this stone wherever you find it.

Explore the Crystal Guide

Andradite

Love Andradite? Meet Garnet.

The geology.

The origins.

Traditional associations.

Spotting the real thing.

At-home tests.

Care & handling.

Pairs well with.

A deeper look.

The physical record

How it reaches the market

What it gets confused with

What it is worth

Where buyers get caught

One more thing

An education-first guide.

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Andradite

The geology.

The origins.

Traditional associations.

Spotting the real thing.

At-home tests.

Care & handling.

Pairs well with.

A deeper look.

The physical record

How it reaches the market

What it gets confused with

What it is worth

Where buyers get caught

One more thing

An education-first guide.

Most items are one of one or come in limited batches. See them, and the stories behind them, before anyone else.