Uvarovite

Garnet

By Tim Matthews, JD, FGA, GG, DGA,
CEO and President of JTV (retired)
Published: June 2014
Modified: September 2023
Uvarovite Polished Uvarovite Rough

Uvarovite is a highly desirable, yet widely unknown garnet species. Discovered in the 1830's in Russia, it was named in honor of Count Sergey S. Uvarov, a 19th century Russian statesman, scholar and avid mineral collector. Especially prized by collectors, uvarovite is hard to find anywhere, especially in sizes greater than 0.25 carats. Uvarovite ranges in color from medium to dark green and is best known for its granular, drusy masses which reveal well-formed dodecahedral or trapezohedral crystals under magnification.

General Information

Common Name
Uvarovite
Species
Garnet
Transparency
Opaque
Dispersion
Strength: Weak Fire Value: 0.014
Refractive Index
Over The Limit 1.798-1.865
Optic Character
NA
Optic Sign
NA
Polariscope Reaction
Singly Refractive (SR)
Fluorescence
SWUV: Inert or greenish
LWUV: Inert or red
Pleochroism
None
Hardness
6.5-7
Streak
White
Specific Gravity
3.710-3.810
Luster
Vitreous
Fracture
Conchoidal, Uneven, Irregular
Cleavage
None
Chemical Name
calcium chromium silicate
Chemical Formula
Ca3Cr2(SiO4)3
Crystal System
Cubic
Chemistry Classification
Silicate

Uvarovite Colors

  • Green Uvarovite
    Green

Countries of Origin

Canada; Russian Federation; Unknown; Norway; China; United States of America; Finland; Poland; South Africa

Care

Uvarovite is brittle so please handle with care.