Spessartine

Spessartine Garnet

Spessartine is the manganese-aluminum variety of garnet is bright orange, orange, brownish-orange color. These stones are extremely rare compared to red grenades rhodolite. This fact makes spessartine is very popular among collectors and jewelry houses around the world.

Thanks to the mineralogist from France to F. Bedano in the first half of the twentieth century introduced the name, "spessartine". His name rocks got the name of the German Spessart region in which the detection of the first instances of spessartine. On the international stone market spessartine also has the name spessartite (Spessartite), or tangerine garnet (Mandarin garnet).

Color variety

Note the use of the term commercial "Fanta" when describing spessartine with a bright orange color. This color is the most expensive, color stones "Fanta" without inclusions are extremely rare. The presence of a brownish tint reduces the price of the stones. The high cost of the different "tangerine" stones imported from Namibia.

Natural color palette spessartine characterized by the predominance of yellow, orange and red shades. Distributed more light-orange coloration of minerals. Sometimes spessartine reddish-brown color. Manganese impurity determines the presence of a soft pink tone stones. Minerals pinkish-orange color, which occupy an intermediate position between spessartine and pyropes are sold in the jewelry market under the trade name garnet, Malaya. Grenades "Malaya" are shipped from Tanzania and Kenya. Jewelers appreciate these stones since their color close to the color of the famous orange sapphires "Padparadscha" mined in Sri Lanka.

It is important to note that spessartine as grenades tsavorite garnets not exposed to any kinds of finish, unique orange color - it is entirely merit of nature. This fact favorably distinguishes grants of tangerine color on the background of many precious stones, beautiful color which sometimes is achieved by different methods of treatment.

Price

• Jewelry spessartine higher quality categories rarely exceed a weight of 5-7 carats. Spessartine usually contain inclusions in the form of gas-liquid veils. In the case of spessartine should not be afraid of these inclusions, since these colorless veils reflect light and create a Shine effect over the entire volume of the stone, making the stone sometimes even more attractive. The emergence of large and pure stones over 7 carats is considered a unique event. Price data spessartine can reach $1.500-3.000 for 1 carat.
• The cost of medium-sized spessartine weight of 4-6 carat, not dark colors and subtle inclusions varies in the range of $200-800 per carat.

Definitely pairs or sets of three or more instances have added value for the selection color and the same cut on average plus 30%. There is a steady demand on the orange grenades, which significantly affects their market prices. Widely known designer collections from world-class brands Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co, Bulgari, Cartier, Dior, including exclusive jewelry with orange spessartine, which also increases the demand for this rare stone.

Deposits

In the early 90-ies of XX century took place the discovery of spessartine in the Northern part of Namibia. At the end of 1999 was opened the largest field located in the Nigeria. In the past few years, the jewelry market delivered high quality spessartine from Mozambique. A small amount of stones produced from deposits of Brazil, Myanmar, Madagascar, Tanzania, Sri Lanka.