Garnet Value and Worth
Each stone is unique in terms of quality, and it’s helpful to know each stone’s value and worth before purchasing fine jewelry for yourself or a loved one. We’ve created a guide to garnets so you’ll have all of the knowledge you need before purchasing.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Garnet Popularity
Jewelry enthusiasts have adored garnets for thousands of years for their deep red hues and symbolism. It’s said that garnets are the oldest known gemstone. Garnets symbolize love, protection, and friendship. They’re rumored to increase confidence, courage, energy, and security. From ancient times until today, cultures have cherished garnets.
Garnet in the Past
The name garnet comes from the Latin word granatum, which means grain or seed, like the deep red seeds of a pomegranate that the gemstones resemble. This popular stone has awed people for thousands of years. Red garnet necklaces adorned the pharaohs of Egypt and ancient Romans used carved garnets as seals to protect important documents. In the Middle Ages, the gemstone acted as a means to cure depression. Some groups viewed the stones as a talisman against evil, disaster, wounds, poisons, and bad dreams.
Garnets Today
Garnets are the January birthstone, and many believe garnets keep wearers safe. It’s worn to protect and balance the wearers by helping to feel grounded. In addition to protection, it’s said that this stunning gemstone brings love, luck, health, loyalty, and friendship to people who wear it.
What are Garnets?
Garnets are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and for abrasive purposes. You know garnets for their deep red hue, but they’re also available in other colors (orange, brown, yellow, pink, green, blue, and colorless). Peach, green, colorless, and blue garnets are more rare.
These stones are popular for their durability when treated with care and their hardness. On the Mohs scale, this gemstone scores 6.5 to 7.5 out of 10. Garnets should not be subjected to any hard blows or rough wear in order to protect them.
Garnets are found in many places throughout the world, including Brazil, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Russia, USA, and China. Different locations produce varying stone colors. For example, Sri Lanka is known for rhodolite garnet, the common deep reddish purple variety.
Garnet Pricing
Like most gemstones, color, clarity, carat, and cut impact garnet’s quality, and as a result, its price. Here’s more detail about each of these factors.
Color
A garnet’s color is an important factor. The reddish hue is the most popular and abundant. However, you can find stones available in other colors (orange, brown, yellow, pink, green, blue, and colorless). Peach, green, colorless, and blue are rare.
While demantoid and tsavorite garnets are both rare and green, they’re different varieties. Tsavorite is a grossularite garnet and demantoid is an andradite garnet.
Clarity
Typical garnet clarity depends on its type. For example, the red garnets almandine, pyrope, and rhodolite typically do not have eye-visible inclusions. It’s common for some types of orange garnets, like spessartine and hessonite, to have inclusions seen by the naked eye.
Carat
You’ll find these beautiful gemstones in various weights and sizes. Some garnets are large in size but still affordable. The more rare garnets, like demantoid and tsavorite, typically found in small sizes, so their value goes up significantly with size.
Garnets like almandine are typically found in larger sizes, so there is not a huge rise in value as size increases.
Cut
Many garnets are cut into standard shapes and sizes to allow easy setting into jewelry. Rare and expensive garnets, like tsavorite and demantoid, get cut into different shapes to retain the most carat weight.
Many garnets are cut into standard shapes and sizes to allow easy setting into jewelry. Rare and expensive garnets, like tsavorite and demantoid, get cut into different shapes to retain the most carat weight.
How Much Does Garnet Cost?
Garnet cost depends on the quality, or the grade of the stone. Garnets are not graded by GIA like other gemstones, but some brands create their own grading systems for colored gemstones.
For decently-colored gems with some inclusions, the cost ranges from $500 to $600 per carat. For cleaner, larger stones with excellent color, costs range from $2,000 to $7,000. The rare demantoid and tsavorite garnets are the most valuable type of garnet, and it is also one of the most uncommon and valuable of all colored gemstones.
Garnet Treatments
Some stones get forms of enhancement treatments, but not most garnets. For example, demantoid garnets, the vibrant green variety, undergo heat treatment to enhance their color.
FAQs
Is Garnet a valuable gem?
Garnets are a valuable stone, and the more rare versions are even more valuable. The value depends on the type of garnet as well as the quality of it.
How much does a 1 carat Garnet cost?
Garnets vary depending on the quality. A 1-carat garnet with inclusions could cost around $500 while a cleaner garnet with a more rare color could cost between $2,000 and $7,000 per carat. More rare garnets, like demantoid and tsavorite, will cost more.
Which color Garnet is most popular?
Red garnets are popular and well-known, but you can also find this gemstone in green to greenish yellows, orange to orange pinks, purple, blue, and even color changing varieties. You’ll see garnets in rings, necklaces, and engagement rings in garnets of all colors.
Is Garnet a birthstone?
Those with January birthdays are lucky to have gorgeous garnets as their birthstone.
