Garnet Necklace, 9ct Gold: superfine Garnet gemstone, 10mm x 8mm, in a setting Sydney-crafted in solid 9ct Gold, a cut oval of the finest gem-quality wine-red Garnet, as centre-piece in a strand of wine-red 3mm faceted Garnet beads.
Garnet is a gem crystal that comes in a number of colours, depending largely on the minerals present in the gemstone. The Garnet type in the above necklace is Almandine and the cause of its red colour is the presence of iron; Spessartite Garnet owes its vivid yellowish orange colour to the presence of manganese; and Tsavorite Garnet its electrifying green to the presence of vanadium with a trace of chromium.
Of all Garnet types by far the best known, most popular is the wine-red Almandine Garnet in the above necklace. As with so much, however, over time it has become more costly to source lower quality. The Garnet gemstone centre-piece abovem is of an AGrade superior quality, quite large at 12x10mm and with super-fine colour and clarity, that has become almost impossible in the 2020s to source. The above Garnet gemstone comes from a store of stock purchased in the 1980s.