Garnet Needs a PR Agency....
Coming into the industry, I, like most, considered Garnet exclusively to be the deep maroon'ish red that dominates all of its exposure in the market.
As many things in the jewellery industry, it has felt the strain of rigid traditions and been slow to react to market trends. Its roots in conventional style and fashion, has cast a shadow over some of the most amazing variants of garnet.
Mainly through a hit and hope approach to sourcing unusual - or least, ‘less well known’ stones; we stumbled upon some truly beautiful and unique gems that were fact, garnets. They housed characteristics that we always look for in stones, which is 'any element that isolated individuality'.
No better example of this than the demantoid, as seen here in our beautiful sprayed cluster. It is a heavy included gemstone that creates its 'diamond like' luster and light refraction, a truly unique and choice for an engagement ring.
Another amazing green species of garnet is tsavourite. It will similarly be susceptible to feathers, needles and all round unique inclusions that give a stone its character and appeal (to us).
One of my favourite's is a Mali Garnet, which have an amazing yellow to yellowish/orange hue. It's an amazing sapphire alternative and refracts light like no other. Silk within a sapphire will often need a heat treatment to have this level of pop, not the Mali. Love it!
Price shouldn't come into the mix as a move for PR credibility. The core characteristics of this stone, is why I'm edging you that way. There are a few nooks and crannies that I have been rustling around in and finding amazing stones that need their time in the sun. However, often this will come at a significant price advantage compared to the bigger hitters - Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald
Tsavourite and Dermantoid, are not on the ULTRA cheap side. They would sit slightly above mid range, below sapphire.
You can pick up some amazing Tanzanian, Mali and Malaya Garnet's for a mid range engagement ring. The real difference I have found is, you can find some amazingly well cut mid range coloured gemstones that then won't have a premium build into the price.
To explain very simply, if you have a precision cut sought after sapphire, the price will be significantly more than if you had a precious cut mid range stone. The reason being that I feel most high level cutters will exclusively focus on precious stones, as the margin is justified. No one would be 5x above market standard value for a garnet, however they would for a well cut sapphire, ruby or emerald.
Use those same cutters for a garnet, and you have not only a very affordable stone, the cutting service that truly brings out the stones flare, is well undervalued.
Specifically Mali Garnet (in our latest post) the light refraction in a Mali Garnet rivals some of the gemstones with the most 'fire'. Pffhoooo.
So I'm here to say, get started on a unique, Garnet.
- Rach.