Spessartite
"According to the Talmud, the only light
which Noah had in the Ark was afforded by a
carbuncle (Garnet)".
Marcell Nelson Smith, Diamonds, Pearls and
Precious Stones (1913)
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A mosaic of
Noah in the Basilica di San Marco,
Venice. In Judaism, a Garnet is said
to have illuminated Noah's Ark |
One of the rarest members of the Garnet family,
Spessartite has only been around for less than
200 years. Despite this, when I think of the
radiant Garnet that could have illuminated
Noah's ark to salvation, the fiery oranges of
Spessartite immediately come to mind.
Named after its original source in Spessart in
the German state of Bavaria, Spessartite was
discovered in the mid 19th century. Also known
as Spessartine, it was subsequently also found
in Virginia's Rutherford Mines. While
Spessartite has been mined in Australia, Brazil,
Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka, Tanzania and Zambia, it is Namibia and
Nigeria that really define this gemstone. If
you've read my take on Rhodolite
click here,
you will already be familiar with the Garnet
family's diversity. Coming in a range of colours,
including blues, chocolates, greens, oranges,
pinks, purples, reds and yellows, Garnets are a
group of minerals possessing similar crystal
structures, varying in composition. As each type
has different colours and properties, Garnets
can be potentially confusing for the beginner.
To help, I've included a handy chart
click here.
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Spessartite &
Diamond 9K Yellow
Gold Ring |
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Garnet's many myths frequently portray it as a
symbol of light, faith, truth, chivalry, loyalty and honesty. For example, Garnet (carbuncle) was
one of the gems in the 'breastplate of judgement'
(Exodus 28:15-30), the impetus for birthstones
in Western culture (click here for more), and
Crusaders considered Garnet so symbolic of
Christ's sacrifice that they set them into their armour for protection. In Islam,
Garnets illuminate the fourth heaven, while for
Norsemen they guide the way to Valhalla. One of
my favourite Garnet stories is the Grimm's
fairytale that tells of an old lady, who upon
rescuing an injured bird was rewarded for her
kindness with a Garnet that glowed, illuminating
the night.
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While still
brilliant, this Nigerian Spessartite
is almost pure red with a dark tone
and strong saturation due to its
higher iron content |
As 'self coloured' gemstones (click here for
more), the manganese always present in Spessartite's crystal structure means that it is
always going to be a shade of orange. But
remember what I said
click here about Garnets
being a friendly family that like to mix and
match in nature? When the iron of Almandine
Garnet lends some of its flavour, deeper reds
and reddish-browns also come into play. As a
result, the colours typically seen in
Spessartite are orange, deep reddish-orange,
rich golden orange with red flashes,
yellowish-orange and deep red. Sometimes, brownish 'dark
chocolate' tints are also present, which causes
Spessartite's burnt orange colours. As with all
coloured gemstones, beauty is in the eye of the
beholder. While the more intense, vibrant
reddish-oranges and 'classic' rich oranges
typically command the highest prices, your
preference should dictate your choice. Just
always look for good brilliance, a
characteristic of Spessartite due to its high
refraction (click
hear for more). This is
important as Spessartite has the fifth highest
refractive index, after Diamond, Sphene, Zircon
and Demantoid (a variety of Andradite Garnet).
Mandarin Garnet is a variety of Spessartite with
a pure, almost neon, vivid mandarin colour, just
like the fruit. The most valuable of all Spessartite, Mandarin Garnet was discovered in
Kunene in northwest Namibia. Also known as
'Kunene Spessartine', Namibian Mandarin Garnet
was first mined in 1991 and is typically differentiated from Spessartite from other origins by its inclusions
and graining, giving it a 'sleepy' appearance.
While some in the gem biz view Mandarin Garnet
as exclusively Namibian, Marlene A. Prost, in
her 'Life in Orange' article published in 'Coloured Stone' (March-April, 2002), said it
is: "a term that today is often applied to all Spessartite, regardless of origin". In my
experience, this is true. I'm not too
puritanical about this, as long as the gem's colour matches its name, but fine Mandarin
Spessartite with an authenticated Namibian
origin will command a premium. Since 1994,
Nigeria has become one of Spessartite's most
important sources.
Although Spessartite is regarded as a Type II
gemstone (occurring with some minor inclusions
that may be eye-visible,
click here
for more), favour eye-clean gems (no visible
inclusions when the gem is examined six inches
from the naked eye), remembering that lighter
coloured and larger examples, as well as
Namibian Mandarin Garnet, may have more
inclusions. During the middle ages, if your
Garnet became less sparkly, trouble was on its
way and in Spessartite this rings true; good
cutting accentuates its innate brilliance. Once
you've settled on a colour with good brilliance,
look for a good shape and overall appearance. As
production of fine examples from any locale is
usually sporadic, the fiery oranges of
Spessartite remain a rarity, whose purchase is
the hallmark of a clever gem buyer.
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Hessonite Garnet
A big hit with ancient Indians, Greeks and
Romans, Hessonite is the orange version of
Grossular Garnet (click here for more), Tsavorite being its
green variety (click here
for more). Hessonite comes in shades of orange,
sometimes with hints of red and brown, resulting
in this colour being aptly called the 'cinnamon
stone'. Hessonite's entomology can confuse
because the Greek 'esson' actually means
'inferior'. While softer than other Garnets,
Hessonite is still a durable jewellery gemstone.
In Vedic astrology, Hessonite is known by its
Sanskrit name 'Gomedha' (cow urine), with
Hessonite of this shade considered the most
desirable for this purpose. As my experience
with bovines doesn't go much further than a
barbeque grill, we're going to have to take
their word for it. But before you cringe at the
comparison, remember cows are sacred animals for
Hindus. According to Vedic tradition, setting
Hessonite in gold is believed to result in a
powerful double whammy, increasing both your
happiness and lifespan. For me, the best
Hessonite is an intense golden honey orange with
good brilliance. A clean Hessonite is the
exception rather than the rule, due to the
prevalence of inclusions giving it a streaky,
toffee-like look. Most Hessonite continues to be
obtained from its classic source, Sri Lanka.
| When I first came to Chanthaburi,
Thailand, I was surprised at some of the
colloquial terms some African rough
dealers used to describe the different
colours of Spessartite. Totally
enchanted by the magic of gemstones, I
was horrified (as you can imagine) to
hear the terms Coke, Fanta and Red Soda
(a Fanta variety marketed in Thailand)
being casually used to describe raw
crystals that would soon be faceted into
beautiful, rare gemstones. Well they
mightn't be very romantic, but years
later I can see how apt these everyday
terms are at communicating colour. We
mightn't all think of the same thing
when I say 'burnt orange', but a glass
of Fanta with a splash of Coke quickly
gets the message across, regardless of
the language barrier. |
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