Thoughts On This Garnet

[Catmom]

I spied this little garnet ring in my favorite antique store the other day. It has a window but the color of the stone really drew me in. It''s an orangy red color. In some lights more red than orange but in others it has a stronger orange hue. I know you can''t tell by pictures but does anybody have any guesses as to what type of garnet this is?

 

[Catmom]

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[Catmom]

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[Pandora II]

Nice!

Okay, if you look into it with a loupe does it look kind of treacly? If so it's a hessonite. I would put my money on it being one of the darker spessartites or a spess/almandine or spess/pyrope mix though.

Beautiful colour!

 

[Catmom]

Thanks Pandora. Is it a bad thing that I had to look up treacle, LOL?

 

[geckodani]

That is a yummy red!

 

[Cleo]

That''s very pretty.. I love the colour!

And I love the bonus pics of your fabulous ering too! heheheh

x x x

 

[Linda W]

Beautiful Michelle. Another beauty to add to your jewelry box

I might add also, every time I see your luscious yellow diamond wedding ring, my heart skips a beat!!!!!

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 8/12/2008 1:33:53 PM
Author: Pandora II
Nice!


Okay, if you look into it with a loupe does it look kind of treacly? If so it''s a hessonite. I would put my money on it being one of the darker spessartites or a spess/almandine or spess/pyrope mix though.


Beautiful colour!

I agree on all counts. If you don''t know what treacle is you''re probably not British. In the States it''s the equivalent of molasses. Hessonite''s streaky "treacle" inclusions are distinctive. I relate to another UK product, Scotch whisky. When you mix it with water you can see the same kind of streakiness when it doesn''t quite mix completely. That''s what I call hessonite''s Scotch Whisky Effect, and one I personally find more, uh, identifiable.

In this case, however, I suspect the stone is a spessartite-almandine or spessartite-pyrope mix, as Pandora astutely suggests. In either case the orange highlights should be very bright and showy. If they''re not, and you see the Scotch Whisky Effect, it''s probably the hessonite variety of grossular. Come on, don''t play cute with us -- you all know what the SWE is!

Richard M.

 

[Catmom]

Thanks geckodani, Cleo, and Linda!!!

Richard, LOL, it''s been quite some time since I''ve been under SWE. I can''t drink that stuff anymore! I don''t feel so bad about my treacle knowledge now. Thanks for the explanation. I don''t see any streakiness. The seller had it identified as an almondine but I think it has some spess in it as it really is quite "orangy" depending upon the light.

 

[cushioncutnut]

LOL! on the SWE/treacle description. Learn something new every day. CM... that is just lovely. YOu have found some really pretty antique rings lately!!!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 8/13/2008 10:16:43 AM
Author: Catmom
Thanks geckodani, Cleo, and Linda!!!

Richard, LOL, it''s been quite some time since I''ve been under SWE. I can''t drink that stuff anymore! I don''t feel so bad about my treacle knowledge now. Thanks for the explanation. I don''t see any streakiness. The seller had it identified as an almondine but I think it has some spess in it as it really is quite ''orangy'' depending upon the light.

Definitely has a bit of spess in it.

I am learning that there are very few ''pure'' garnets. I was wanting to collect by type, but I''m starting to think that collecting by colour shade is going to be easier...

 

[zeolite]

Identifying garnet by color is very inaccurate, especially in the red to red-orange color range. Your garnet is mostly like an impure mixture of almandite, spessartite, and grossular, as most red to orange garnets are. The way to know more accurately is to measure the refractive index. If it is low, about 1.74, it is high in grossular. If it is high, in the 1.78 to 1.81 range, it could be either almandite or spessartite, or a mixture of both. Then examine with a spectrascope and look for a manganese (spessartite) absorption band at 430nm, or iron (almandite) absorption band at 505nm.

I am a specialist in garnet with examples in purple, green, yellow, orange, pink, and red garnets and with an extensive interest in color change garnets, including one blue to violet color change.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 8/13/2008 5:09:35 PM
Author: zeolite
Identifying garnet by color is very inaccurate, especially in the red to red-orange color range. Your garnet is mostly like an impure mixture of almandite, spessartite, and grossular, as most red to orange garnets are. The way to know more accurately is to measure the refractive index. If it is low, about 1.74, it is high in grossular. If it is high, in the 1.78 to 1.81 range, it could be either almandite or spessartite, or a mixture of both. Then examine with a spectrascope and look for a manganese (spessartite) absorption band at 430nm, or iron (almandite) absorption band at 505nm.

I am a specialist in garnet with examples in purple, green, yellow, orange, pink, and red garnets and with an extensive interest in color change garnets, including one blue to violet color change.

Totally agree, but most people on PS won''t have access to this kind of equipment.

Delighted to have another garnet specialist here along with Richard M.

Can you post pics of your collection? I have a very nice colour-change myself (blueish purple to cranberry), but my current favourite is my new mali (oh, and my tsavorite of course!).

 

[zeolite]

I''m new at this site; don''t know how or where to post pictures

green grossular suite

yellow grossular suite

malaia garnet suite

pink garnet suite

 

[Catmom]

LOL Ronda! I''m glad I''m not the only one that didn''t know what a treacle was.

Thanks Pandora. I didn''t realize before finding this stone that garnet types could be mixed. I learn so much on here!

Hi Zeolite, welcome to PS.

It''s so nice to have a garnet specialist on board. Thanks so much for joining in and oh my goodness your collection is amazing!!

 

[LostSapphire]

Catmom:

Either I was under the influence of SWE myself, or, you haven''t actually said if you bought this little gem or not??

Inquiring minds want to know....

LS

 

[vita*dolce]

i think it''s beautiful!! it''s so bright for a garnet, love it!!

 

[Catmom]

Date: 8/13/2008 11:39:05 PM
Author: LostSapphire
Catmom:

Either I was under the influence of SWE myself, or, you haven''t actually said if you bought this little gem or not??

Inquiring minds want to know....

LS

LOL, yes I bought it.

Thanks vita*dolce!