Usually when an article is written about a gemstone or jewelry, pictures or videos would accompany the article. Today I am going to try to express the beauty of garnets in words only. To visualize the beauty of a gem through words only.
Garnet is one of the largest and most common gemstone family known to man. The red variety being the most common, and the green variety being the rarest and most expensive. Red garnet can be very affordable, as it is very common. But there are varieties of garnet that are rare, highly collectible, and very expensive. I personally love the garnet family because it comes in almost every shade, except blue, and is completely natural with no enhancements.
Pyrope Garnet: Red with a brown tint. This is probably the most popular garnet seen in the market. It kind of has a brick red color to it.
Almandite Garnet: This is also a red garnet, but it is a beautiful violet tint to it. It is beautiful to the eye.
Spessartite Garnet: This is a rare, and interesting garnet. It can range from orange to a sort of brown color. In order for this garnet to be called Spessartite or Spessartine, it must be have hues of orange in it. Whether it is red, or the more brownish overall color, it must have undertones of orange in it. This variety of garnet was originally discovered in Spessar Germany and while most mines have been depleted, occasionally a new source is found. It is a very collectible variety of garnet. If you love the colors of fire then this gemstone would be for you.
Mandarin Garnet: Is the orange only variety of Spessartite and has been given its own name. In its finest forms it will have the color of a mandarin orange. Can't you just smell the fresh, citrus smell of the mandarin orange? This variety of Spessartite is the rarest and most expensive variety. If you are lucky enough to own the gemstone of the sunset than you are especially lucky.
Grossular Garnet: These garnets range in color from green to brown, and have a whole subfamily listed under them.
Tsavorite Garnet: A green luscious gemstone from Kenya and Tanzania. It is the color of
grass so green. The color of life, energy, and renewal. Tsavorite
Garnet is a personal favorite of mine. The color makes you feel alive
and invigorated. It is very expensive in the finest color and size. The
majority of Tsavorite Garnets are small and under 2 carats.
Hessonite Garnet: Another red garnet that ranges in color from a honey color to a
brownish red color. It is most well known for the honeycomb
inclusions that are visible under a microscope. It is a unique garnet
because of that reason.
Last but not least is the Demantoid Garnet. Demantoid which means diamond like luster, is the most valuable garnet in the whole garnet family. It is hard to put into words the beauty this gemstone possesses. I do own one small Demantoid Garnet and the shine and fire that it gives off is amazing. It is a greenish yellow color, with the finest color being and emerald green color, and with diamond cutting it looks like a natural green diamond. Demantoid Garnets are very hard to find in large sizes. Mine is only about 3mm round. Of course the larger the size of any gemstone, the more light can enter, and the fire and brilliance is more evident.
January babies have a wide variety of options for their birthstone. You don't have to have just a traditional red garnet. Be exotic and go for the more rare and beautiful variety of garnets. I wish there was a blue garnet. I think it would be amazingly beautiful. If you would like to see some affordable varieties of garnet, you can visit my
Etsy store.
