Identification guide · Silicate Minerals
How to Identify Spessartine
Spessartine is usually orange, red, and brownish red with a vitreous luster and is transparent. It has a Mohs hardness of 7. 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 Almandine, Garnet, and Pyrope; the tests below separate them.
Spessartine identification checklist
| Color | Orange, Red, Brownish red, Yellowish orange | 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 | 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 to uneven | Broken surfaces show smooth, curved, shell-like scoops. |
| Specific gravity | 4.19 | Heavier than it looks (specific gravity about 4.19). |
| Crystal system | Cubic |
Extra tests for Spessartine
Glass check. Spessartine 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.
Spessartine look-alikes and how to tell them apart
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Spessartine vs Almandine →
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Spessartine vs Garnet →
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Spessartine vs Pyrope →
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead.
Field tips
- Look for bright orange to reddish-orange isometric crystals with dodecahedral or trapezohedral faces and no cleavage.
- High hardness near 7 and high density help separate spessartine from softer orange minerals.
- Composition often lies between spessartine and almandine, so confirm gem-grade stones with proper testing.
Spessartine identification FAQ
How can you tell if a rock is Spessartine?
Check the color (orange, red, brownish red, and yellowish orange), the vitreous luster, a Mohs hardness of 7 and a white streak. Photographing it with the StoneSnap app gives a match in seconds.
What is the hardness of Spessartine?
Spessartine has a Mohs hardness of 7. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file.
What is the difference between Spessartine and Almandine?
Spessartine (Mohs 7, vitreous luster) and Almandine (Mohs 7–7.5, vitreous to resinous luster) look alike, but hardness, streak and heft usually separate them. See the full Spessartine vs Almandine comparison for a side-by-side table.
Is Spessartine worth anything?
Entry-level Spessartine specimens sell for around $15, typical collector pieces about $120, and premium examples $900 or more depending on size, quality and locality.
What color is Spessartine?
Spessartine is most often orange, red, brownish red, and yellowish orange. Color varies with impurities and locality, so confirm with hardness and luster rather than color alone.
