Rhodolite

	Reminiscent of the rhododendron (pictured), Rhodolite was first used to describe Garnets discovered in North Carolina in the late 19th century

Rhodolite & Diamond 10K Yellow Gold Ring

Skipping ahead to the 19th century, jewellery featuring clusters of cute little red Garnets from Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic) were all the rage. These deep fiery red Bohemian Garnets are gemmologically known as Pyrope, from the Greek 'pyropos', which means 'fiery eyed'. Bohemian Garnets were made the 'fashion gemstone' of this era by the emerging middle-class, who purchased them in quantity while holidaying in this region's famed hot springs. In his classic work, 'Precious Stones: A Popular Account of Their Characters, Occurrence and Applications', Professor Max Bauer notes that Garnets dominated the displays of jewellery stores at the time. Max has an interesting link to a legendary gemmologist we've met once before and are about to meet again. According to Mr. John H. Buck, writing for the New York Times in 1904, Max's book was, "prompted by the desire of the publishers to present to the German public a work on precious stones similar in character to that admirably supplied in American literature in 'Gems and Precious Stones of North America' by Dr. G. F. Kunz". Regardless, of his impetus, his observation of the prodigious nature of Garnets helps explain why many Rubies of this period were later found to be fine Pyrope.

In truth, Garnets are a lot more than little red gems. Sure, there are the 'classic' reds, but Garnets also come in an array of other colours including chocolates, greens, oranges, pinks, purples and yellows. Blue had never been seen in Garnets before the discovery of certain colour change varieties from Bekily in southern Madagascar in the late 90s. According to gemstone author Antoinette Matlins, "the Garnet family is one of the most exciting families in the gem world" and I couldn't agree more, but boy, can they get confusing! A group of minerals possessing similar crystal structures, Garnets vary in composition, giving each type different colours and properties. As 'self coloured' gemstones (click here for more), you'd think things would be simple, but Garnets are a friendly family that like to mix and match in nature. To put this in context, several years ago I compiled a list of 38 different current, historic and commercial Garnet names. It took me a while to get my head around the Garnets, so to make it easier for you I've included a handy chart click here.

If Garnets are the 'Queen of Gemstones', then in my mind, Rhodolite is the 'Queen of Garnets'. Rhodolite was discovered in 1882 in Macon County, North Carolina and was named by the acclaimed gem expert, George Frederick Kunz, after its colour resemblance to the mountain rhododendron (Rhododendron Catawbiense) that grows in North Carolina. Deriving its name from the Greek 'rhodo' (rose) and 'lithos' (stone), Kunz described Rhodolite as, "pale rose-red inclining to purple like that of certain roses and rhododendrons". While the original American deposit was exhausted by 1901, Rhodolite had actually been mined in Sri Lanka for over 2,000 years. Today, the primary sources for Rhodolite are India, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Secondary sources include Brazil, Kenya, Madagascar and Malawi.

	Mozambique Garnet & Diamond 10K Yellow Gold Ring

Like some other Garnets, Rhodolite is a 'maverick mixture' of two different 'pure' types; in this case, a naturally occurring blend of Almandine and Pyrope (click here for more). Colour wise, Rhodolite looks very different to the 'classic' Garnet reds, coming in combinations of pink, red and purple. Uniquely beautiful, the key differentiators for Rhodolite when compared to its Almandine and Pyrope cousins are its purple shades and a high level of transparency that results in good brilliance. Its purple hue should be lively, immediately noticeable and command your full attention. While colour preferences are subjective, I favour Rhodolite with a rich rhododendron purplish-red colour of a medium tone without any brownish tints. While bigger gems are usually redder with attractive violet flashes, Rhodolite can lose its transparency, brilliance and beauty if too dark. Commercial colour prefixes and names are sometimes used to describe certain Rhodolite colour varieties. Unfortunately, these 'trade names' can sometimes be confusing as they are not always consistently applied. While names like 'Raspberry Rhodolite' (a fine purplish-pink colour resembling the fruit) or 'Grape Garnet®' (named for its intense purple red colour reminiscent of fine merlot or cabernet wine) can be useful, at the end of the day, you should purchase based on what you see.

Transparency is also important for Rhodolite, and as a Type II gemstone (click here for more) it typically occurs with some minor inclusions that may be eye-visible. While a few inclusions that don't overly mess with beauty are acceptable, avoid Rhodolite that is overly cloudy or silky. Once you've settled on a colour with a high level of transparency, look for a good shape and overall appearance. While you'll occasionally read that 'so and so source' has the best colours, clarity, etc., in reality, there are no significant differences between any of the major Rhodolite deposits. As with all gems, country of origin can be indicative, but never implies a quality.