Identification guide · Silicate Minerals
How to Identify Pyrope
Pyrope is usually red, deep red, and purplish red with a vitreous luster and is transparent. It has a Mohs hardness of 7.25. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. Its streak is white. It is most often confused with Spessartine, Garnet, and Hessonite; the tests below separate them.
Pyrope identification checklist
| Color | Red, Deep red, Purplish red, Orange-red | Look at a clean, dry surface in daylight. Color zoning, banding or spots are as diagnostic as the hue. |
|---|---|---|
| Luster | Vitreous | Fresh surfaces shine like glass; a dull surface usually means weathering, so chip or wet a corner. |
| Transparency | Transparent | Hold a thin edge up to a bright light and note whether light passes through. |
| Mohs hardness | 7.25 | It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. |
| Streak | White | Drag a corner across unglazed porcelain (the back of a bathroom tile) and check the powder color. |
| Cleavage | None | |
| Fracture | Conchoidal | Broken surfaces show smooth, curved, shell-like scoops. |
| Specific gravity | 3.58 | Heavier than it looks (specific gravity about 3.58). |
| Crystal system | Cubic |
Extra tests for Pyrope
Glass check. Pyrope shares a glassy luster and conchoidal fracture with man-made glass. Glass sits near Mohs 5.5 and often contains round gas bubbles, so a hardness test and a hand lens separate them.
Pyrope look-alikes and how to tell them apart
Both sit near Mohs 7.25, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Pyrope vs Spessartine →
Both sit near Mohs 7.25, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Pyrope vs Garnet →
Both sit near Mohs 7.25, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Pyrope vs Hessonite →
Both sit near Mohs 7.25, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Pyrope vs Almandine →
Is my Pyrope real?
- Hardness: real Pyrope sits at Mohs 7.25. Glass imitations are about 5.5, so genuine Pyrope scratches glass while a glass fake cannot.
- Bubbles: round gas bubbles under a 10x loupe mean glass or resin, never a natural stone.
- Color: dyed material concentrates color in cracks and pores; look for pigment collecting at the edges of fractures.
- Temperature: natural crystals feel cool and take longer to warm in your hand than plastic or resin.
Field tips
- Look for deep red, transparent crystals with a glassy luster and no cleavage.
- Pyrope is hard and forms rounded, well-shaped equant garnet crystals.
- It occurs in peridotite and eclogite with olivine and diopside, which helps confirm identification.
Pyrope identification FAQ
How can you tell if a rock is Pyrope?
Check the color (red, deep red, purplish red, and orange-red), the vitreous luster, a Mohs hardness of 7.25 and a white streak. Photographing it with the StoneSnap app gives a match in seconds.
What is the hardness of Pyrope?
Pyrope has a Mohs hardness of 7.25. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file.
What is the difference between Pyrope and Spessartine?
Pyrope (Mohs 7.25, vitreous luster) and Spessartine (Mohs 7, vitreous luster) look alike, but hardness, streak and heft usually separate them. See the full Pyrope vs Spessartine comparison for a side-by-side table.
How do I know if my Pyrope is real?
Real Pyrope matches the hardness listed above, shows no round gas bubbles under magnification, and does not concentrate dye in cracks. Glass and resin fakes fail at least one of those checks.
Is Pyrope worth anything?
Entry-level Pyrope specimens sell for around $15, typical collector pieces about $120, and premium examples $800 or more depending on size, quality and locality.
What color is Pyrope?
Pyrope is most often red, deep red, purplish red, and orange-red. Color varies with impurities and locality, so confirm with hardness and luster rather than color alone.
