Garnet is a popular gemstone that has been used in jewelry for thousands of years. The garnet group of minerals is found in many colors, but the most prized is a rich, deep red. The price of natural garnets can vary widely depending on the variety, color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. Here is an overview of the factors that determine garnet value and price.
What is Garnet?
Garnet is not a single mineral, but a group of silicate minerals with similar chemical compositions and physical properties. While garnets come in every color, red is the most common and popular shade. The name “garnet” comes from the Latin word “granatum” meaning “seed-like” in reference to the rounded shape of small garnet crystals.
Some common varieties of garnet gems include:
– Pyrope – An iron and magnesium aluminum silicate, pyrope garnets range from deep red to nearly black. The saturated red pyrope garnets are simply known as rhodolite.
– Almandine – An iron aluminum silicate and one of the most abundant garnet varieties, almandine occurs in shades of red and reddish-brown.
– Spessartine – Manganese aluminum silicate garnets that range in color from orange to red-brown.
– Grossular – Calcium aluminum silicate, grossular garnets can be yellow, green, brown or red. The fine green grossular is referred to as tsavorite.
– Andradite – An iron and calcium silicate, andradite occurs in shades of yellow, green and black. Demantoid is a green andradite garnet.
– Uvarovite – A calcium and chromium silicate, uvarovite is always a bright green color.
Garnet Color
The color of a garnet is one of the most important factors in determining its value. In general, more saturated and darker tones of red garnets are most valuable. The color of a garnet depends on its specific chemical composition and the presence of trace elements that produce the color.
Vivid red pyrope and almandine garnets with high saturation and low tones are the most valuable. Rhodolite, a purple-red pyrope garnet, is also popular and costs more than lighter and more orangey shades. Dark red spessartine garnets with high clarity also command high prices.
Green garnets like tsavorite and demantoid are rare and valued for their striking green color. Garnets that are brownish, pale or too light in tone have lower value, while pure orange or pure green garnets are uncommon and fetch high prices.
Garnet Clarity
Like color, the clarity of a garnet also influences its quality and value. Garnets often have inclusions or flaws visible under magnification. Eye-clean stones with high clarity are the most desirable.
Garnets are graded for clarity on the following scale from highest to lowest:
– Flawless (F) – No inclusions visible under 10x magnification
– Internally Flawless (IF) – No inclusions visible, minor surface flaws
– Very Very Slightly Included (VVS) – Minute inclusions difficult to see under 10x magnification
– Very Slightly Included (VS) – Minor inclusions visible under 10x magnification
– Slightly Included (SI) – Noticeable inclusions visible under 10x magnification
– Included (I) – Obvious inclusions visible under 10x magnification
Stones graded IF, VVS or VS will have the highest values. Heavily included garnets are less desirable and sell for lower prices.
Garnet Cut
A quality cut brings out the brilliance and fire in garnet gems. Garnets are cut in a variety of shapes, but the traditional rounds and ovals are most common. Other popular shapes are cushion, emerald and trillion.
Well-proportioned cuts with good symmetry and precise faceting maximize garnet’s refractive index and dispersion rating. High quality cuts exhibit excellent brilliance, fire and scintillation. The standards for cut quality depend on the shape, but in general cuts that are precisely executed with proper depth percentages and symmetry relative to the shape are most valued.
Carat Weight
Like other precious gems, garnets are evaluated by carat weight for pricing. Garnet prices per carat increase exponentially with carat size. However, large clean garnets over 5 carats are extremely rare. Most garnets on the market are under 3 carats.
In general, these are the average garnet prices per carat based on gem quality:
– Under 1 carat – $80-200 per carat
– 1-2 carats – $150-600 per carat
– 2-3 carats – $300-1200 per carat
– 3-4 carats – $600-2500 per carat
– 4-5 carats – $1200-4000 per carat
Garnets over 5 carats with excellent color and clarity can cost over $5000 per carat. High quality small stones under 1 carat can also command premium pricing per carat.
Specific Garnet Varieties
Within the garnet group, some specific varieties are more rare and valuable than others:
Tsavorite – This rare green grossular garnet is exceptionally valuable, with prices ranging from $3000 to over $10,000 per carat. The record price paid for a tsavorite is over $20,000 per carat.
Demantoid – Due to its rarity and vivid green color, demantoid garnets also fetch very high prices from $2000-5000 per carat on average.
Rhodolite – The most valuable of the pyrope garnets, rhodolites in dark red gem quality can cost over $1000 per carat.
Spessartine – Bright orange-red to pure orange spessartines are uncommon and sell for $200-500 per carat.
Malaya – A rare type of pyrope-spessartine hybrid garnet, malaya garnets range from light pinkish-orange to red and can sell for $100-1000 per carat.
Star garnets – Almandine garnets displaying asterism or a star effect can sell for $500-1000 per carat.
Garnet Grades: B, AA, AAA Quality
Gem dealers sometimes assign letter grades like B, AA or AAA to communicate garnet quality similar to diamond color grades. These are general guidelines for garnet grades:
– B – Included or Slightly Included garnets with visible flaws under magnification. Decent color but lower saturation. The lowest and most affordable quality for jewelry.
– AA – Very Slightly Included to Virtually Flawless garnets with minor or no visible inclusions under 10x magnification. Good color saturation and tone. High quality suitable for fine jewelry.
– AAA – Flawless or Internally Flawless garnets with excellent color saturation, brilliance and cut quality. The top grade of garnet quality comparable to VS-SI diamonds.
Factors that Don’t Affect Garnet Value
Some factors that influence other gem prices do not impact garnet value and pricing:
– Country of origin – Garnets are mined worldwide and source locations do not affect value.
– Treatments – Garnets are not commonly treated or enhanced. Natural untreated garnets are most valued.
– Rarity – Certain garnet types like demantoid are rarer than others, but garnets still have steady commercial availability overall.
How to Identify Garnet
It takes a trained gemologist to confirm garnet’s variety, quality factors and identify any potential treatments. But here are some basic tests that can help identify garnet:
– Color – Viewed with the naked eye or a loupe, quality garnets will show even color distribution without dark spots or zones.
– Clarity – Examine under magnification for clarity characteristics. Higher quality garnets will have fewer eye-visible flaws.
– Cut quality – A good garnet cut should have precise faceting and exemplify the stone’s brilliance.
– Refractive index – Using a refractometer, check the refractive index which will range between 1.71-1.94 depending on the garnet type.
– Specific gravity – Use a hydrostatic scale to determine specific gravity measuring around 3.5-4.3 for garnet.
– Chelsea filter – When viewed with a Chelsea color filter, garnets should show a red reaction.
Where to Buy Garnet
The best places to buy quality garnets include:
– Online dealers – Reputable online jewelers and gem dealers like Gem Rock Auctions offer extensive selections of verified garnets that can be bought securely online.
– Retail jewelers – High-end jewelers, especially those with GIA or AGS certified gemologists on staff, are ideal for finding and assessing high quality garnets.
– Gem shows – Attending gem and mineral shows allows you to buy from many specialty dealers and find rare garnet specimens.
– Estate auctions – Auction houses sometimes have antique and vintage garnet estate jewelry go up for bid.
When buying garnets, always request a gemological report from a respected lab like GIA, AGS or Gubelin to document the stone’s quality characteristics. Confirm that any gem treatments are disclosed.
Garnet Price Comparison Table
| Garnet Variety | Price Range per Carat |
|---|---|
| Tsavorite | $3000 – $10,000+ |
| Demantoid | $2000 – $5000 |
| Rhodolite | $150 – $1000 |
| Spessartine | $200 – $500 |
| Malaya | $100 – $1000 |
| Almandine | $50 – $400 |
| Pyrope | $80 – $600 |
| Grossular | $50 – $250 |
| Andradite | $50 – $300 |
| Uvarovite | $100 – $500 |
Conclusion
In the gemstone market, garnets display an exceptional diversity of color, quality and thus price ranges. Top quality garnets with pure rich color and high clarity in larger sizes over 2 carats can rival fine diamonds in rarity and value. Tsavorites and demantoids in particular are extremely scarce and precious. For red garnets, the most desirable and expensive varieties are rhodolites and rare star garnets. While common garnets can sell for under $50 per carat, exceptional examples can fetch over $10,000 per carat at auction. With proper certification documentation and disclosure of any treatments, garnets offer beautiful, durable and affordable options for jewelry of all types across the pricing spectrum.
