Hardness: 6.50
Refractive Index: 1.85-1.89
Specific Gravity: 3.85
Birthstone:
Astral Stone:
Anniversary Stone:
Origination: The former Russia, Zaire, Kenya, the United States and others.
Care & Cleaning: Soft polishing cloth, plain water rinse or mild solution of soap & water.
Folklore, Facts & Fiction:
Andradite is a member of the garnet mineral group.
It may be yellow, green, yellow-green, red, or black.
Andradite gets its color from manganese and titanium that reside in the crystal.
The most valuable andradite is the demantoid, a bright emerald green gem found initially in the Urals of Russia.
In 1996, an important find of andradite surfaced on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in southern Arizona. This same location currently produces about 80% of all peridot. This new find may heighten consumer awareness of andradite.
The �true yellow� andradite garnet is commonly known in the jewelry world as �topazolite�. It may be either dark or light in color.
Although similar in name, topazolite and topaz are not related.
A black variety of andradite sometimes found in lava rock is known as �melanite�. This variety can also be found in a very dark red color.
At 6.50, the andradite ranks slightly lower on the Moh�s scale than other members of the garnet mineral group.
For additional information, see �demantoid garnet�.