All About Garnet
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Big Island Jewelers, Ltd. |
Garnet is the birthstone for January and the anniversary gemstone for the 2nd, 5th and 12th year of marriage. Garnets, with a history spanning more than 5,000 years, come from the Latin word for seed, “Granatus”. Garnet was named because of its similar color to pomegranate seeds. There are 6 species of Garnets that come in a wide variety of colors.
Almandine and Pyrope:
- Rhodolite, a pinky red color, like a grape or a glass of red wine. Uniquely striking, Rhodolite is a naturally occurring blend of Almandine and Pyrope Garnet. While raspberry is the most prized color, Rhodolite is also found in shades of pink through lavender.
- Mozambique, originating in the East African nation they are named after, Mozambique Garnets are famed for their high quality and wonderfully warm, red colors.
Spessartite:
- Mandarin Garnet, the intensely bright orange red varieties of the rare orange Spessartite Garnet, also known as Spessartine.
Andradite:
- Demantoid, a gorgeous lime green, is one of the most desirable of all colored gemstones and extremely rare. The name Demantoid originates from the old German word “Demant” meaning “Diamond Like”, because of a luster and dispersion that yields a fire even higher than diamonds!
- Mali, extremely rare, is a bright, uniform light yellowish green color.
Grossular:
- Tsavorite exhibits a vivid emerald green; this intense coloration is due to the presence of Vanadium in the host rock. Like all Garnets, Tsavorite possesses few inclusions and a high index of refraction, resulting in superior brilliance and transparency. Production is highly unpredictable with large crystal sizes seldom being recovered – all helping to add to the gemstone’s cachet as a genuinely rare jewel. Most Tsavorite tends to be less than 3 Carats in size, fine gemstones over 5 Carats are destined for private collections.
- Merelani Mint, displaying stunning mint greens, luster, sparkly brilliance and excellent durability, Merelani Mint Garnet is a relatively new rare gemstone whose popularity is only limited by its scarcity. Named for its color and where it is mined, Merelani Mint Garnet was first discovered around 1998 in the same area as Tanzanite.
- Hessonite, come in two colors, golden and cinnamon. A perfectly colored Hessonite is a bright golden-orange that resembles a combination of honey and orange with an internal fire. Some Hessonites have tints of red and brown.
Uvarovite: an emerald green color, we have some samples in our drusy pendants.
