Garnet Shopping Guide
Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers has created a garnet shopping guide for the January birthstone. Synonymous with higher thinking, tranquility and self-empowerment, the gorgeous red pomegranate colored garnet, is stunning. While many associate garnets with its Bohemian deep red hue, the stone is actually mined in a rainbow of colors, from vibrant greens (tsavorite) to oranges, pinks, purples and even browns!
History and Categorization
Historically, wearers believed that garnet would light up the night and protect wearers from nightmares and accidents. In fact, historians have discovered a stylish red garnet bead necklace dating back to 3,800 BC in a grave in Egypt. Historians have found that merchants traded garnets heavily during the ancient Roman scholar Pliny’s time and then highly favored by clergy and nobility during the Middle Ages.
An important note, garnets are a group of similar minerals that can be further subdivided into species and then once again into a variety. In fact, gemologists have denoted over 20 species of garnet, however, only five of those are commercially important as jewelry gemstones. They are pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular, and andradite. Andradite, for example, is one of the more lustrous groups species, which contains the variety, demantoid, which is one of the most valuable garnets.
Garnet Shopping Guide
Garnet Color comes in a wide variety, as mentioned before, with red being the most common. In addition, Gemologists separate varieties of garnets by colors within species.
Clarity of a garnet depends on variety. Many red garnets (almandine and pyrope) do not have inclusions, while orange varieties tend to have them. Some inclusions actually increase a garnets value. A horsetail inclusion in a demantoid
You can find a variety of garnet Cuts in standard cuts as well as designer cuts. For rare garnets, gem cutters will cut rough stones to display the best fire within the stone. Fire is the dispersion of light into the colors of the visible spectrum. Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers has a variety of cuts for garnet jewelry, ranging from cushion cut or pear cut and more!
As with many gemstones, as the size increases (holding all other factors constant), so does the value. Gemologist measure garnet weights in Carats.
Stop by Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers to view our ecclectic collection of gorgeous garnet gemstone jewelry or shop online for added convenience!
