ArtFire

Vintage pearshape green garnet (tsavorite) weighing 0.55 carats and dimensions 8 x 5 x 3 mm. This stone is extremely brilliant and nearly eye-clean.

Garnet is a name that refers to a family of minerals, many of which are transparent and can be used as gemstones. One group of garnets includes the mineral grossular, which occurs in a wide range of colors, including shades of yellow and green. A dark green variety of grossular was discovered in Kenya in the 1960s and given the name tsavorite by Tiffany and Co., after the famous Tsavo National (game) Park in Kenya. Tsavorite has become a hugely popular stone, despite its being in the marketplace less than 50 years.

Tsavorite, like emerald, owes its green color to a trace of chromium in its structure. But while emerald nearly always has scattered inclusions and cracks, tsavorite can be nearly flawless (especially in small sizes) and is therefore considerably less brittle than emerald, while displaying equal color intensity and comparable hardness.

Tsavorite occurs in rocks that have been squeezed and distorted by earth pressures, and the crystals that are recovered tend to be shattered. Only the small bits can be faceted, which is why there is a very large premium on cut tsavorites over 1-2 carats. Most tsavorite gems are under 1 carat in size.

The price is for the one pictured tsavorite gemstone, which we guarantee to be natural and untreated green garnet from Kenya. The shipping cost includes insurance within the U.S.

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