Tsavorite Garnet
$75.00
Item number:
2
Tsavorite Garnet From Kenya .58 CT
Tsavorite is a rare, vivid-green variety of grossular garnet prized for its intense color, high brilliance, and exceptional durability. Unlike most green gems, it is completely natural and untreated. Mined almost exclusively in the bushlands of Kenya and Tanzania, it is rarer, harder, and often cleaner than emerald.
Key Characteristics & Properties
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- Color: Ranging from light mint to a deep forest or electric green. Its hue comes from trace amounts of vanadium and chromium.
- Hardness: Measures 7.0 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, making it excellent for daily-wear jewelry like rings.
- Brilliance: Because it is singly refractive, tsavorite has high luster and a bright internal "fire" that often surpasses the brilliance of an emerald.
- Treatments: Unheated and un-oiled. The vivid green color is 100% natural, meaning it requires no artificial enhancements to look stunning.
Rarity & Value
Tsavorite is a geologically supply-constrained gemstone. It formed over 2 billion years ago under intense metamorphic conditions, which limits large, eye-clean crystals.
- Stones over 1 to 2 carats are rare, and specimens weighing over 3 to 5 carats command significant premiums.
- Because of its prestige, untreated nature, and durability, it has become a popular investment-grade gemstone and a premium alternative to emeralds.
Origins & History
The gem was first discovered in the mountains of northeast Tanzania in 1967 by British geologist Campbell R. Bridges. Later, he successfully prospected for the mineral in Kenya, finding larger and finer specimens near the world-famous Tsavo East National Park. The stone was officially named "tsavorite" by Tiffany & Co. president Henry Platt in honor of the park.