The World of Garnets

When you think about garnet, you may think red. But red is only one of the many colors garnets come in. What all garnets have in common is their crystal structure, but each species and variety has a unique chemical composition.

Garnet species

There are five species of garnets that are used in jewelry:

Pyrope

This garnet species usually occurs in combination with other species and most commonly is deep red, offering an alternative to Rubies. But other colors can occur, for example Malaya Garnets are a mix of pyrope, spessartite, and sometimes almandine. They are known to have a vibrant reddish-orange to pinkish-orange hue. Most color change and many color shift garnets have a pyrope and spessartine or pyrope and almandine composition.

Almandine

Another common species of garnet, often occurring in combination with other species. Almandine makes for pure red stones that can be mistaken for Rubies at first glance. Depending on the chemical composition, almandines can be many colors including brown, orange, purplish red, wine red, or pure purple.

Rhodolite garnet is considered its own variety due to the unique composition. It is a a blend of pyrope and almandine with small amounts of other species, such as grossular or spessartine. Rhodolites can range in color, with some being purely purple rivaling Amethyst and other having intense red hues. The typical color for a Rhodolite will be raspberry red. We used Rhodolite for our Cherry Twist Ring and Cherry Dangle Earrings.

Spessartine

Most spessartine garnets have an orange hue and pure spessartines are somewhat rare. Spessartine can also occur with other garnet species, for example in Mandarin Garnets, known for their intense orange color.

Grossular

Grossular garnets are interesting because while they come in many colors, they are are rarely red or dark. This species is known for softer tones ranging from completely colorless to vibrant green or yellow. Popular types of grossular garnet include Hessonite (reddish-orange color resembling cinnamon), Tsavorite (green), Mint garnet (light minty green) or Raspberry garnet (raspberry-red). Grossular garnets can also occur as a blend, for example in combination with andradite, forming the rare yellow Mali Garnet.

Andradite

Andradite is one of the most sought after garnet species because gem-quality stones are rare. It has a higher dispersion and refractive index than many other garnets, making it the most sparkly garnet. The fire of andradite garnets often rivals that of diamonds. Andradites occur in a range of colors. The gems can be yellow, green, brown, brownish red, and even black. On rare occasions, color change or color shift can occur. The most prominent member of the andradite family is Demantoid, which is green. Lesser known andradites include Topazolite (yellow) and Melanite (black).

Demantoid is a gemstone frequently used in our collections. You can find it in our Pistachio Ice Cream ring, bracelet and studs as well as the Watermelon Waves ring and Watermelon necklace.

Garnet jewelry 101

Garnets are pretty durable stones but their resistance to scratching depends on the species. Spessartine,  pyrope, almandine, as well as rhodolite garnets are a 7-7.5 on the Mohs scale. Andradite and grossular garnets can be slightly more sensitive at a 6.5-7.5. You can wear garnet jewelry daily but avoid wearing it while engaging in any strenuous activities and protect the stones from extreme heat. For cleaning, use a soft cloth and warm, soapy water instead of ultrasonic cleaners.