Demantoid Garnets

The Garnet family of minerals has many gemstone varieties.  While many people probably think of garnets as a reddish-brown gemstone, sometimes used as a substitute for Ruby, they actually come in many (far more interesting) colours.

One of these varieties is known as ‘demantoid garnets’ which are green, were discovered in Russia and sparkle more than diamonds!  The name ‘demantoid’ means ‘like a diamond’ and was given to the stone when it was discovered in the 1860’s as the people who discovered it immediately recognised its superior fire and colour.

The exact colour of Demantoids can vary from location to location and there is a relationship between the colour and how much the stones sparkle.

Stones found in the Ural mountains in Russia have the most intense green colour of all currently known deposits of the stone and these stones command the highest prices.

Demantoids can even have inclusions that make them more valuable

Ethically sourced Demantoid garnet

As well as the original source of Demantoid garnets in Russa, deposits have been found in Namibian, Iran, Italy and Madagascar.  The discovery in Namibia in the 1990’s is the most significant commercial mine and represents the best opportunity for fully traceable, responsibly sourced stones.

Namibia, in South-west Africa has a well developed small scale mining sector and government-backed programs exist to help local miners develop their business.

Demantoid garnet jewellery

As a member of the Garnet family, demantoids have a hardness of 6-7.5 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.  This means they are suitable for use in jewellery however they are not ideal for rings that will be worn continuously as they will scratch and wear down over time.

What makes demantoid garnet green?

Chemical elements inside the atomic structure of a mineral give them their colour and in the case of demantoid garnets its traces of chromium or vanadium.  The exact amounts account for the differences in the colour of demantoids from different localities.

Demantoid garnet price

The price of demantoid garnets depends on their size, colour and where they are from.  Large stones, over 3ct in weight can fetch very high prices as they are rare.  Smaller stones with good colour and a signature ‘horsetail’ inclusion can also command high prices.

Demantoid Garnet mining

The majority of demantoid garnet mining is small in scale though some larger deposits have been found.  Small scale mining incorporates a range of practices and the exact size of the mine and the operation can differ.  It can be as basic as a 2-metre hole in the ground with 2 or 3 miners excavating material by hand or a team of 20 miners with basic machinery working a 60-metre hole. To learn more about where garnets come from, click here.