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Pyrope

Crystal system · Isometric

Pyrope is a silicate mineral prized by collectors for its exceptional color range, with several world-class Chinese localities.

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Crystal Structure
Cubic garnet — Mg₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃.
External databases provide CIF (Crystallographic Information File) downloads + interactive 3D viewers. AMCSD: American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database (free, RRUFF-hosted). COD: open community-curated database.
Elemental Composition (by mass)
ElementMass %Visual
O Oxygen47.63%
Si Silicon20.90%
Mg Magnesium18.09%
Al Aluminum13.39%
Computed from simplified end-member formula. Solid-solution series, water content, and trace substitutions cause real-world variation.
IMA Abbreviation (Whitney-Evans 2010)
Prp
→ Pyrope
Garnet
Standard symbol from American Mineralogist (Whitney & Evans, 2010). Used in thin-section labeling, phase diagrams, and IMA-style species records.
Pronunciation
/ˈpaɪroʊp/
↔ PYE-rope
Greek "fire-eyed"
Luster
vitreous
Standard vitreous.
Color Cause (Chromophore)
Chromophore:
Fe²⁺ + Cr³⁺
Mechanism:
idiochromatic
Color produced:
red
Fe²⁺ baseline plus Cr³⁺ deepens red. Bohemian pyrope famous.
Diaphaneity (Transparency)
transparent
Mg-Al garnet — gem-grade.
Type Locality
(general) — Bohemia
Described 1803 by Werner
Magnetism
Category:
weakly paramagnetic
Test result:
Weak but detectable
Mg-Fe garnet — usually less magnetic than almandine.
Test with rare-earth magnet (N42 or N52 neodymium). Suspend specimen on thread for sensitive paramagnetic detection. Diamagnetic minerals are weakly repelled (visible only with strong magnets like bismuth).
Specific Gravity
3.65–3.84
g/cm³
medium
Mg-Al garnet; lightest pyralspite garnet.
For comparison: water = 1.00, glass ≈ 2.5, quartz = 2.65, corundum ≈ 4.00, galena ≈ 7.50, gold ≈ 19.3.
Formation eraMantle-derived; >100 km depth. Specimens > 1Ga common from cratonic kimberlites.
Market availability: Uncommon
Found at major shows and select dealers. Quality varies by locality.
Collector tier: Solid Display
Reliable mid-tier display species. Easy to find in well-formed examples; broad locality diversity.
Often found withOlivine · Diopside · Chromite
Mohs 7–7.5
Vickers (~) 1400 HV
Knoop (~) 1100 HK
Geological setting
KimberlitePlacer
Element composition by mass

Formula: Mg₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃ · molar mass: 403.12 g/mol

O 47.63%
Si 20.9%
Mg 18.09%
Al 13.39%

Computed from atomic weights (IUPAC 2021). Site-occupancy groups (Fe,Mn) split equally.

GroupGarnet Group
Related members: Almandine · Spessartine · Andradite · Grossular · Uvarovite
Mohs Hardness 7–7.5

Pyrope sits at 7–7.5 on the Mohs scale — harder than glass; scratches steel.

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Colors:
Streak
White
Crystal system
Isometric (Cubic)
Type localityBohemia, Czech Republic
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Discovery First described 1803 by Werner (Bohemia)

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SilicatesSilicates (Nesosilicates)
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TL;DR · 1 min read
Pyrope (Mg₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃) is the magnesium end-member of the garnet group and completes the pyralspite trio with almandine (Fe) and spessartine (Mn). Its name from Greek "pyropos" (fiery-eyed) reflects the deep wine-red to blood-red color from chromium and iron substitution.
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Pyrope (Mg₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃) is the magnesium end-member of the garnet group and completes the pyralspite trio with almandine (Fe) and spessartine (Mn). Its name from Greek “pyropos” (fiery-eyed) reflects the deep wine-red to blood-red color from chromium and iron substitution. Pyrope is famous as the host garnet of diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes, and as Bohemian Garnet — the historic gem of European royal jewelry from 17th-century mines in the modern Czech Republic.

More minerals to explore #

Other Members of the Garnet Group

石榴石族

Identification & care

Specimens usually show dodecahedral, trapezohedral, rounded grains in alluvial placers. Its color range is broad, including deep red, blood red, dark crimson, rarely orange (malaya garnet), and rarely colorless. The luster is vitreous to resinous, the streak is white, and specimens range from transparent to translucent. The fracture is subconchoidal, which is one of its key identifying features.

Collector context

How it forms

Pyrope forms in high-pressure metamorphic rocks — eclogites, kimberlites, garnet peridotites; alluvial placers; mantle-derived rocks (xenoliths in basalt). It is commonly found in association with olivine, enstatite, diopside, diamond (in kimberlite), chromite.

Classic Chinese localities

Documented Chinese occurrences are recorded at Jiama Cu-polymetallic deposit, Dachang ore field and Shizhuyuan Mine, among others.

Why collectors care

Collectors pursue Pyrope for the clarity of its crystal form and, in good material, saturated color that reads instantly across a display case. A well-terminated pyrope on clean matrix photographs well, identifies quickly, and anchors a cabinet piece. Top Chinese specimens over the last two decades have reset the bar for what pyrope looks like at collector grade.

What affects value

Value in Pyrope is assessed, in typical order of weight, against: (1) locality provenance; (2) size relative to the species norm; (3) crystal form and termination sharpness; (4) color saturation and zoning; (5) transparency and internal clarity; (6) matrix quality and aesthetic balance; (7) condition (absence of damage, chips, or repair). Cleaning quality and verified locality documentation act as multipliers across the above.

Naming history

The name Pyrope has a specific etymological and historical context — see Mindat's reference entry for provenance details. We have retained naming data at the record level; published prose is paraphrased from factual fields rather than copied from source.