Rhodolite Garnet
7–7.5Hardness (Mohs)
Pyrope-AlmandineChemistry
3Known origins & mines
Raspberry-pyrope blend first described from North Carolina's Cowee Valley in 1893. Today Tanzania's Umba Valley and Mahenge, Mozambique and India supply grape-purple to rose-red stones used widely in silver jewelry.
Known origins & mines
Umba Valley Fields · Tanzania
Umba river flats produce grape-purple rhodolite plus sapphire and spinel byproducts — the 1960s Umba rush put Tanzanian garnet on the trade …
Cowee Valley Rhodolite · United States
Where rhodolite was named (1893) — Mason Mountain diggings produced raspberry pyrope-almandine still found by hobby sluicers today.…
Mahenge Garnet Hills · Tanzania
Mahenge's 1987 spinel fame extends to vivid pink-red rhodolite and malaya garnet — hillside pits glow with neon saturation unusual for garne…