FASHION BLOG

The orange red of mandarin garnet has taken the fashion world by storm. The fiery and brilliant color has been equally popular with fashion designers and gemstone lovers.  The fiery red brilliance is of top quality but finding a mandarin garnet in a jewelry store isn’t common as they are rare. This is also the reason why you should be careful when you are picking it from a jewelry store. They have a highly attractive color and shine even in the bezel setting that darkens other jewels. One of the reasons a mandarin garnet is so popular apart from its beautiful orange red hue is its hardness. It means they are quite resilient and can be used in daily wear without worrying about chips or the luster being affected. A well cut stone of this type has an unbelievable sparkle that is unparalleled, especially in a raised setting used in rings of 22k gold.

The mandarin garnet usually comes from Namibia or Nigeria, although the former is the source of rarer and purer mandarin garnets compared to the latter. These are stunningly beautiful except that the ones from Nigeria are slightly lower in quality. Mandarin garnets are used in a variety of cuts and shapes. An oval shaped one with a weight of 1.92 carats could cost you around $200, while a 2.4 carat round cut stone could cost as high as $500. Some of the mandarin gems are collector items with the AAA Spessartite variety costing in excess of $2000. These are perfect without interior flaws and a brilliant fiery color, weighing almost 6 carats.

One of the most well known Mandarin garnets is a stone weighing 18.86 carats with an oval shape and an intense orange color. This stone with unparalleled brilliance, as if containing fire within it, costs as high as $30,000 reflecting the exceptionally high demand for these stones. The mandarin garnet is also famous amongst those with superstitions. Orange is the color for vibrancy, joy and celebration. From a ripe peach color to reddish hues, all kinds of tints are found within these precious stones. The stone is also known for its high refractive index which adds a glowing sparkle to the gemstone. The luminosity and the hardness, combined with the rarity of the mandarin garnet is what have led to the prices of the stone being so high in the gemstone market. The vivacity of the small brilliantly cut stones, makes them distinctly attractive. Photos courtesy of www.randypolk.com