In one of my previous posts, I discussed the various colors of garnet. In many cases, the color is a good indicator of the garnet species to which it belongs. There are five commercially significant garnet species out of the 20+ garnet species known. Those include almandite, andradite, grossularite, pyrope and spessartite.
Almandite and pyrope generally range in color from deep red to purplish red to orangish red. Spessartite ranges from vibrant orange to yellow, while andradite is yellow to yellowish green. Grossularite covers a wide range of colors, making identification on color only a bit more difficult. Its color ranges from colorless to yellow, red-orange to vibrant green. My favorite garnet, tsavorite, belongs to the mineral species Grossularite.
Photo: Provided by the American Gem Trade Association.
Author: Michelle M. Rahm is a GIA-trained Graduate Gemologist and is President of Colorado’s Mile High Chapter of the GIA Alumni Association. She has been selling gemstones and jewelry online since 1997. Visit her websites JewelryImpressions.com and OurCustomWeddingRings.com
