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Tsavorite |
Tsavorite Rough |
Tsavorite Crystal |
First discovered in Kenya in 1968 Tsavorite was the first Green Garnet the
world had known since small Russian deposits of Demantoid Garnet had run
out in the late 19th century. Today Tsavorite's gorgeous bright green shades
are rapidly growing in popularity as new digs in both Kenya and Tanzania
turn up fabulous new sources. Named for the Tsavo National Park - one of
the world's largest wildlife sanctuaries, where hippos and crocodiles luxuriate
in the Mzima Springs while snakes and man-eating lions do their utmost to
scare gem-miners away! Tsavorite is a green variant of grossular garnet
(Ca3Al2(SiO4)3) which gets its coloring from vanadium &/or chromium
impurities. Tsavorite has a Refractive Index of 1.74 and Specific Gravity
of 3.60-3.68. Ranking 7-7.5 on the Moh's Scale of Hardness, Tsavorite is
a robust gem suitable for all jewelry types. Garnets are a group of related
minerals, containing cubic crystalline structure with slight variations
in their chemical compositions. In all, there are 7 major types of Garnets,
which include Almandine, Pyrope, Spessartine, Grossular, Andradite, Rhodolite
and Malaia. Tsavorite ranges from light green to very dark. The finest stones
are eye clean with an intense medium green color. Tsavorite has grown tremendously
in popularity in recent years as more stable supplies have reached the world
market. When evaluating all types of Garnets, color is the most important
characteristic. The color must be intense and uniform with a tone that is
not too light or too dark. Fine Garnets should be eye clean with minimal
inclusions under magnification. Size is also a very critical determinant
of the stone's value. |
