The Many Colors of Garnet

This name is like a big umbrella covering a variety of stones that are all very similar in chemical composition. The difference between these silicates is where they are mined and the metal particles found in the silicate. Magnesium, iron, chromium and aluminum give each garnet gemstone its unique shade of red or other color.

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Ancient Greeks and Romans thought the deep red gem resembled a pomegranate seed because of its color and round shape. They were very fond of the gems and used them in their jewelry and other embellishments. In ancient Egypt, Cleopatra wore the red gem probably thinking it was a ruby. Back then, they didn't know that this gem came in more colors than just red.

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There are about 14 different varieties and most are mined in Africa. Tanzania, Namibia and parts of South Africa are common mining locations. Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States also have gem deposits. Carl Faberge used the emerald green stones found in the Urals of western Russia in many of his pieces.

A multitude of colors

Though the word garnet is tied to the word red, there are actually many different colors available. In fact, every color along the spectrum can be found except for blue. The most valuable gem is not even red, it is emerald green.

The varieties, demantoid and tsavorite, are the two most popular green stones and they can be quite expensive because of their rarity. With the discovery of new mines in Namibia, they may become more common.

However, the shades of red are still classic and always will be. But, if the traditional idea of a garnet necklace is not appealing, consider a yellow, black or even orange stones to drape your neck. It is all a matter of taste.

January birthstone

The garnet is the official birthstone for January. It is also the gem for the Zodiac sign of Aquarius, so some lucky February babies can claim it as their birthstone as well. Another official occasion that warrants a gift of garnet earrings or some other piece is the 2nd wedding anniversary.

How to care for garnet jewelry

Depending on the variety, these gems range from a 6 to a 7.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. This means that they are quite durable and suitable for daily wear in all types of jewelry. They are not as delicate as other gems with the same rating because there is no cleavage present which makes it easier for the stone to split. It also makes it easier for the cutter.

A soak in warm soapy water should be sufficient to clean the grime that collects from daily wear. If lotion or soap remains in the setting, a quick scrub with a toothbrush is safe and will not scratch the stone.

Whether the stone is emerald green or violet red, it makes a beautiful and versatile piece of jewelry. A garnet pendant set in silver or gold can be worn casually or with formal wear. Whatever the need is, this gemstone offers a solution with its many shades of reds and other colors.

The Many Colors of Garnet

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How Gemstones Get Their Colors And What Makes Them More Valuable

The colors of the gemstones are what make them look so dazzling and alluring. The most dazzling gemstones are the precious stones. Emeralds, rubies and sapphires are known primarily for their bright green, red and blue colors. While sapphire is also available in colors like pink, green and yellow. Nevertheless, all gemstones have beautiful colors, which increase their exquisiteness. For instance, pearls are white, pink, red, aquamarine is bluish green, amethyst is purple, garnets are green, red, purple, and topaz is yellow and orange in color. Gems also come in different shades of colors, like blue, green or red.

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You can choose your gemstone according to the color you like. The deepest or richest colors are the most valuable and expensive stones. Emeralds have different shades of green, but the most popular shade is the bluish green, which is the richest color. Sapphires too are found in pink, green, yellow and different shades of blue. However, the rich blue color is the most valuable and popular stone. Rubies are also found in different shades of red, while the color known, as "pigeon's blood" is the darkest and richest red available, which is very powerful. This deep red ruby is mined only in Myanmar.

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When precious stones are found in mines, they do not look as attractive as they should be. Stones are usually polished, carved and cut into different shapes and sizes for it to acquire its beauty. According to the polish of the stone, the value increases.

It is a common notion that the deeper and richer the color of the stone, the more precious and valuable it is. For instance, bright white pearls, green garnets, royal purple amethysts, yellow topaz, deep red corals are the most precious and valuable gem stones existing. A lighter colored gemstone, like a light green garnet isn't as precious as a parrot green garnet.

It is very difficult to obtain the richest color of a stone, as they are very rare. Thus most of the people settle with lighter colors, as they are easily available and very affordable. These days, people prefer a lighter garnet, or a lighter purple amethyst, as it is next to impossible to afford or find the "perfect" green or purple. As long as the gemstone is powerful and attractive people are content.

However, it is strange that diamond, which is the most expensive and exquisite gemstone, is valued by how colorless it is. Diamonds are rated according to their shine, and neutral color. If the diamond is white or pale pink, it is regarded as a low grade diamond. But if the diamond is known as a pink diamond, or a canary diamond then it is considered worthy. The most high priced diamonds are oddly, colorless.

How Gemstones Get Their Colors And What Makes Them More Valuable

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The Different Colors of a Garnet Ring

A red garnet ring is a stunning piece of jewelry, but did you know that garnets come in a variety of colors? When thinking of garnets, most people think of the red variety, but this attractive gemstone is available in almost all the colors of the rainbow. The warm and deep reds are the most common garnet colors but there are also garnets in all the shades of green, yellow and orange. The only color a garnet does not come in is blue.

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The red variety is often used together with gold, and especially the deepest and warmest reds look very good in gold jewelry. Green and yellow garnets combine well with sterling silver or white gold, and are often matched with other green or blue gemstones. There are also some unique varieties of garnet, including the star garnet, and some of these gemstones can change their colors under different types of light. Because it comes in such a range of different shades, garnet is highly valued among all the gemstones and is very popular in all types of jewelry. Jewelry designers like garnets because they are easy to work with and very versatile.

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Garnets are quality gemstones, relatively hard and not easily damaged. They can be damaged by extreme heat, and like many other gemstones, they do not like extreme changes in temperature. They can also suffer from knocks and blows, and it is always best to store a gemstone ring wrapped in its own individual piece of cloth to protect it from knocking against other pieces of jewelry.

Garnets have been used in jewelry making for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians knew garnets and the stones were also used in Greek and Roman jewelry. As is the case with most gemstones, garnets have their place in folklore around the world and are associated with certain qualities or powers. Travelers and seafarers used to keep garnets in their possession for protection against evil.

Different colored garnets also have different names. The most common deep and warm red garnet is called pyrope. The color of red garnets has sometimes been described to remind the deep red of a ripe pomegranate fruit. Green garnets include grossularite, tsavorite and demantoid. Whether you prefer green, red or yellow garnets or any of the different tones and shades from brownish orange to fiery red, a garnet ring is the perfect gift and a stylish engagement ring.

The Different Colors of a Garnet Ring

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Garnet Minerals - The Many Colors of Garnets

Spessartine is an uncommon garnet. Spessartite or spessartine is manganese aluminum garnet, Mn3Al2(SiO4)3. Madagascar's spessartine garnet is a recently discovered variety with a beautiful raspberry body color, and spectacular salmon-pink fire. Spessartine is an orange-red or plain orange stone, also called "Mandarin garnet. Mandarin Garnets were recently discovered in East Africa and are a variety of Spessartine Garnets. They were found in the German Spessart Mountains, hence their name Spessartine.

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Rhodolite garnet is a combination of almandine and pyrope, and is sometimes referred to as pyrope-almandine garnet. Rhodolite is a purplish red variety of garnets that has been used since ancient times. Rhodolite garnet, like all garnet is a fairly hardy gem. Rhodolite Garnet boasts a vibrant cranberry color, and its name is derived from the rhododendron flower that shares a similar hue. The color ranges from pink to purplish red in color and is mined in Africa, India, and Sri Lanka. Rhodolite Garnet is used as affordable substitutes for the Ruby. Pyrope garnet is also called anthill garnet in Arizona because ants bring the gem to the surface while building their homes. The term "American ruby" is actually a pyrope garnet (and not a ruby at all).

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Hessonite (also called "cinnamon stone") is a cinnamon-brown to orange gemstone variety of grossular garnet. Hessonite Garnet is a special Garnet used in Vedic gemology to increase creativity and imagination. The oranges and browns of Hessonite hail from Namibia and Sri Lanka.

Commonly called Tsavorite Garnet, this green grossular are very rare. Tsavorite is among the most coveted members of the garnet family. We adore Tsavorite Garnet because it offers the color and hue of an emerald and yet, it's more rare, and much more vibrant. The name for Tsavorite Garnet comes from the Tsavo National Park in Kenya, which is the only region where Tsavorite Garnet is mined. Tsavorite can be considered a "new" gemstone since it was unknown before its discovery in Kenya in the 1960s. Tsavorite has a beautiful vivid green color, is bright and lively with a high refractive index, and has a garnet's durability and high clarity. Even though Tsavorite Garnet is rare, the lack of demand keeps the prices well below that of the more plentiful Emerald.

Grossular is a pale green, pink, brown, or black garnet, Ca3Al2(SiO4)3, occurring alone or as a constituent of the common garnet. Tsavorite is a variety of green grossular garnets discovered in 1967. The name Grossular comes from the Latin Grossulara (the name of gooseberry fruit) which is the same color as the greenish variety of garnet. Some grossular garnets can have round and elliptical inclusions. Massive white grossular has been found with jade in Myanmar and has been carved by the Chinese. A variety of Grossular Garnets, Hessonite comes in two colors, golden and cinnamon (this variety is commonly known as the Cinnamon Stone.

The demantoid belongs to the large gemstone family of the garnets, and is actually a variety of the garnet mineral andradite. One of the rarest and most sought after colored gemstones have always been demantoid garnet. The name Demantoid means diamond-like, because it has a very high adamantine luster, and color dispersion higher than diamond. As seen with the demantoid garnet, inclusions can sometimes be a benefit to garnets rather than a liability. Demantoid garnet was used lavishly by the Tsars of Russia. Originally discovered in Russia, the Demantoid garnet was favored by Russia's leading court jeweler, Carl Faberge'. Demantoid garnets are softer than other garnets and should be protected. Demantoid has been called the "emerald of the Urals" from its occurrence there, and is one of the most prized of garnet varieties. "Horse-tail" inclusions in demantoid garnet make it more valuable because they prove it came from Russia. It can be more expensive than ruby and sapphire.

Andradite garnet can be yellow-green, green, greenish brown, orange yellow, brown, grayish black or black. Andradite is a calcium-iron garnet, Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3, is of variable composition, and may be red, yellow, brown, green, or black. Andradite garnet is usually black and of no interest to the gem trade, but one variety called "Demantoid" is a lively green. A new green Andradite Garnet has been coming out of Namibia, but some experts say they lack much of Demantoid's character and luster. Andradite can be found in calcareous metamorphic rocks, especially marbles and skarns.

Uvarovite, an emerald-green variety from Russia and Finland, is rarely suitable for gem use. Uvarovite garnet is found only in tiny sizes. Uvarovite is a calcium chromium garnet with the formula Ca3Cr2(SiO4)3. The uvarovite garnet has been synthesized (mineralized with borax to facilitate diffusion of precursors) by several sols-"gel methods. Uvarovite is quite brittle; this makes it difficult to cut for jewelry. Uvarovite, like other garnets, forms rounded crystals with 12 rhombic or 24 trapezoidal faces or combinations of these and some other forms. The Uvarovite Garnet is found In Russia and is a bright green cluster of crystals sometimes also called drusy. Uvarovite develops in a metamorphic environment in serpentines with chromite and in metamorphosed limestone.

Mandarin Garnet is a bright orange garnet. Mandarin Garnet is a trade name for bright orange spessartine from Namibia. Recently, there was a new discovery of Mandarin Garnet in Nigeria with an unbelievable neon orange color. Mandarin Garnets are the intensely bright orange red varieties of the rare orange Spessartite Garnet, also known as Spessartine.

The Merelani Mint is a green grossular garnet. Merelani Mint Garnet is rapidly emerging as a collector's stone and it is becoming quite prominent due to its beauty and rarity. Merelani Mint is the name given to a bright mint green variety of grossular garnet that has been recently discovered in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania.

Garnet Minerals - The Many Colors of Garnets

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