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Garnet · Variety of Garnet

Hessonite

Honey orange, cinnamon, brownish orange

Brown Orange Yellow
Optical properties

Optical characteristics

Ref. index
1.73 – 1.76
Luster
Vitreous to adamantine
Pleochroism
None None; garnets are singly refractive and isotropic.
Fluorescence
Usually inert.
Origins

Source localities

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka: Ratnapura / Elahera
Premium ★ Top Source

Classic Ceylon source for sapphire and many alluvial gems; known for bright colors and good clarity.

46.5% est. supply
Tanzania Tanzania: Merelani Hills
Major

Major source for tanzanite, garnet, spinel, tourmaline, ruby and fancy sapphires.

31.6% est. supply
India India: Rajasthan / Odisha / Karnataka
Notable

Historic and modern source for garnet, moonstone, corundum and other gems.

21.9% est. supply
Inclusions

Inclusions & features

Crystals Crystal Inclusions Under 10x loupe: solid, well-formed mineral crystals trapped inside the host gem. They may… Fractures Feathers and Fractures Under 10x loupe: irregular internal surfaces that catch light and appear bright, wing-like, or… Fractures Fingerprint Inclusions Under 10x loupe: curved or wavy lines of tiny dots forming patterns that look… Clouds Pinpoint Clouds Under 10x loupe: concentrations of extremely tiny bright dots that individually are too small… Multiphase Two-Phase Inclusions Under 10x loupe: a transparent irregular cavity containing both a liquid phase and a…
Identification

Instruments used

10x Loupe Your most-used instrument, start every examination here Polariscope Determines single vs. double refraction, quick and conclusive Refractometer Measures refractive index, the backbone of gem identification Spectroscope Reads characteristic absorption lines, confirms chromium, iron, copper UV Lamp, Long Wave and Short Wave Fluorescence exposes treatments, synthetics, and origin