Garnet: Characteristics
Hard, dense, nearly silica-free and reusable
What this tab covers The supply and physical characteristics of the commodity. Supply: current production, inventories and stocks, capacity utilisation, geographic and producer concentration, how fast supply responds to price, the project pipeline and capital spending, and logistics and export flows. Material: the physical and chemical properties that set its grade, price and end uses (for example purity and conductivity for metals, API gravity, sulfur and energy content for fuels, moisture, protein and fibre quality for crops).Supply volume characteristics
| Characteristic | Figure | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current production volume | about 730,000 t (2025e); 734,000 t in 2024 | Australia 350,000 t, China 280,000 t, US 77,000 t and India 15,000 t in 2025. South Africa produced nothing after its mine suspended operations in November 2024. | USGS MCS 2026 |
| Inventory and stock levels | not published; South African stocks drawn down in 2025 | US imports rose 37% in 2025, mainly from South African stocks mined before the shutdown, and the import unit value fell 39% to $170/t. No exchange or government stockpile. | USGS MCS 2026 |
| Capacity utilisation | not published for mines; US recycling capacity 41,000 t a year | US recycling plants in Oregon (16,000 t a year) and Pennsylvania (25,000 t a year). South Africa's mine at zero output in 2025. GMA Garnet says it supplies more than 600,000 t a year from two mines and eight plants (company page, undated). | USGS MCS 2026; GMA Garnet |
| Geographic and producer concentration | Australia about 48%, top-3 (Australia, China, US) about 97%, HHI about 3,900 (2025) | Derived from USGS 2025 output. GMA Garnet (Western Australia) is the largest supplier, so company concentration is high. | USGS MCS 2026; GMA Garnet |
| Supply elasticity | low to moderate: new mineral-sand projects take about 3-5 years | India's private beach-sand output was shut by rules in 2013-2019 and was not replaced quickly. Heavy Minerals' Port Gregory project (Western Australia) shows the lead time: PFS in July 2026. | IBM 2023; Heavy Minerals Ltd PFS via Kalkine Media, July 2026 |
| Project pipeline and CapEx | Port Gregory (Australia) about 143,000 t a year planned, CapEx A$122.1 million | Heavy Minerals Ltd's PFS (July 2026) plans about 143,000 t a year for nine years, post-tax NPV A$322.8 million. US producers are expanding recycling. | Heavy Minerals Ltd PFS via Kalkine Media, July 2026; USGS MCS 2026 |
| Logistics and export flows | large share traded; US imports 210,000 t in 2025 (net import reliance 71%) | Australian garnet ships from Geraldton in bags and bulk to the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. US import sources 2021-24: South Africa 59%, Australia 21%, China 9%, India 8%. No HS-specific world trade figure (garnet sits within HS 2513 natural abrasives). | USGS MCS 2026 |
Material characteristics Industrial mineral
Industrial garnet, mostly almandine, is hard, dense and angular, and contains almost no free silica. That makes it a safer, recyclable substitute for silica sand in blasting and the standard abrasive for waterjet cutting. Buyers specify grain size, hardness, cleanliness (chlorides, dust) and moisture, because these set cutting speed, surface finish and how many times it can be reused.
| Property | Value / specification | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mineral type and hardness | almandine Fe3Al2(SiO4)3; Mohs about 7.5-8 | Harder grains cut faster and break down less, allowing reuse | Standard mineral data (indicative) |
| Specific gravity | about 3.9-4.1 | Dense grains carry more energy in blasting and waterjet streams | Standard mineral data (indicative) |
| Free silica | typically under 1% (indicative) | Avoids the crystalline silica hazard of sand blasting | Producer specifications (indicative) |
| Grain size | blasting about 30/60 mesh; waterjet about 80 mesh; filtration in graded sizes (indicative) | Matches nozzle type and surface profile needed | Industry practice (indicative) |
| Chlorides and conductivity | ISO 11126-10 sets limits on water-soluble chlorides and conductivity for blast-cleaning garnet | Salt residues cause coating failure on steel | ISO 11126-10 |
| Moisture | about 0.2% or less for blasting abrasives (indicative) | Dry grains flow through blast equipment | ISO 11126 series (indicative) |