What is the most well behaved garnet?

[mellowyellowgirl]

Have been following the thread with that crazy expensive garnet and various comments about how tsavs can look "meh" in certain lights made me think about garnets and their behaviour.

I only have two garnets, a spess and a red one that my son owns (gifted by a PSer).

The red is fairly dark but looks nice in sunlight. Probably dark in any other situation. I don't see it much because it's his little treasure.

The Spess behaves spectacularly and NEVER EVER looks dark, ugly or meh. It is a bargain of a gem for the color that you get and I would say it behaves just as well as my fancy yellow diamond or any of my bright green jadeite which holds color consistently in all lights. It never looks bad. It can be iffy on camera but it basically looks like a bright orange Halloween pumpkin all the time in real life. With sparkle and scintillation.

My sister also has one (bought my moi cuz I'm the best sister ever!!! I'm slightly salty about giving this one to her) and it behaves beautifully as well.

Are any other garnets like this or is the Spess the most well behaved of garnets? I see some gorgeous pinks. Do they stay that pink or do they go muddy brownish like zircon?

If I were to buy a red spess, would it behave just as well at the orange spess but red? That sounds like an idea for a potential bargain red stone.

 

[Autumn in New England]

As soon as I saw your title, I thought spess. It just never disappoints. And spess can get reallllly red (always with an orange tone, of course)... so it's definitely a thought for an affordable XL piece!

 

[CBianco]

My demantoid looks awesome in all lighting, but it photographs sh*tty when not in the sun lol. Meanwhile I just bought and will be returning an emerald cut royal purple mozambique garnet, it looks absolutely phenomenal in the right lighting conditions but meh in ordinary lighting and too dark toned for my taste. My pink round mahenge garnet behaves similarly to the purple, but it has a lighter tone so not as meh in bad lighting. It doesn't look as good as my spinels in bad lighting though, but then again the spinels are wayyyyy more expensive so I guess in a way we do get what we pay for.

I'm a bit disappointed, as the purple is so vivid and amazing with red flashes, really wish it can look like that all the time. I didn't really take a pic of it in bad lighting though, as it photographs even worse than irl

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

@CBianco that is an AMAZING purple and this is what I'm getting at! At that colour it feels like you get so much for your money but I guess the catch is "how often does it look like that?"

 

[T L]

Love these mints, but I have a trillion mint that gets too yellow in some lighting. I love my spessartites too. My demantoids can be moody, but I still love them.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

@Autumn in New England I do wonder if a red spess would behave any differently. As in because it's more red, will it develop any unsavory characteristics also. Such as darkening etc

 

[voce]

I've never seen a red spess in person, so don't know about that.

I would put Russian demantoid garnet and lighter-toned (green, yellow, white) grossular garnet up there with spess.

 

[CBianco]

@CBianco that is an AMAZING purple and this is what I'm getting at! At that colour it feels like you get so much for your money but I guess the catch is "how often does it look like that?"

Exactly! Looks like a million bucks at its best, but that only happens maybe at best 15% of the time. And it's very expensive too as these are more on the rare side. Not worth the premium in my opinion. Now if it was 5 times cheaper I'd definitely keep it haha

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Exactly! Looks like a million bucks at its best, but that only happens maybe at best 15% of the time. And it's very expensive too as these are more on the rare side. Not worth the premium in my opinion. Now if it was 5 times cheaper I'd definitely keep it haha

15%???? I was expecting like 40% which is still poor odds for me personally considering the outlay of gold and diamonds I'd need to set it.

How rude!!! The garnet, not you lol!

Does it need very strong light or a specific type of light too?

 

[CBianco]

15%???? I was expecting like 40% which is still poor odds for me personally considering the outlay of gold and diamonds I'd need to set it.

How rude!!! The garnet, not you lol!

Does it need very strong light or a specific type of light too?

Okay I may have exaggerated slightly with the 15%, but its definitely much less than half the time. It actually needs diffused daylight, and when theres strong light or I'm facing the "wrong" direction it turns into a blackish blob. Blacks out a bit too in direct sunlight but if I tilt it it flashes beautifully purple. Under incandescent light, it lights up red which is super cool actually

 

[icy_jade]

Spess, in the right color and cut. Not all spess will make the grade.

I actually quite love grape garnets as they are so pretty when they are purple. Can be moody but I can take it. I don’t remember mine turning black? They look mostly better than another purple that I have (the big one) but of course, my big one is big and in such a pretty setting so I love it too lol.

Haven’t seen a red garnet that does decently well other than in the best lighting condition or in vendor pics. Hard pass until they can behave. I have one but still unset along with a mint garnet.

Greens… moody but so pretty when they are good. I also have an included tsav that actually looks good in nearly all lights and is less moody than my trade ideal green ones. Not as glowy looking irl but below gives an idea.


Hmm… so reading what I wrote I think I’ve learnt to accept and love most of my stones, flaws and all, even if they don’t always look their best.

 

[Autumn in New England]

@Autumn in New England I do wonder if a red spess would behave any differently. As in because it's more red, will it develop any unsavory characteristics also. Such as darkening etc

They're typically a bit darker and, perhaps with certain stones, in certain lightings, you may see some brown. But every gem is an individual, you know? Keep in mind though that I'm super selfish, and really want to see another giant honker from you.

 

[Starstruck8]

Interesting question. This cab looks great in all light.


This spess looks spectacular (much better than the pic) under an overcast sky, and good most of the time. But sometimes (as in the pic) it looks more burnt orange, and occasionally (overcast sky under an umbrella) positively brown.



This red-orange spess holds its colour in all light. But the pic is a bit flattering - really it's a bit oranger and darker. Maybe what you are looking for?


FWIW, I find this tsavorite looks good in all light. It's brighter than the pic. I have other darker ones that are not as good IMO.


This malaia is very shifty - varying shades of pink and salmon. Not the strongest colour, but attractive in all lights. Maybe more so than darker toned stones. Also maybe what you are looking for?

 

[dk168]

I had a few inexpensive learner red Garnets from Jeff D and they were all too dark and brown IRL for my liking, so I avoid red Garnets.

I have 2 green ones from Jeff W, one small oval mint Grossular and a darker round 7mm Tsavorite, and I love them.

Both are very sparkly and lively in their different ways.

Jeff assured me the Tsavorite would not be too dark, more a medium green which may not be trade ideal, however that's what I preferred.

I have a Pyrop pink purple one from him too, still undecided about whether to keep it or not. Cutting is great as per usual, however not sure about the colour.

Nothing orange as the colour does not suit me.

DK

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

I have 2 spesses, and want a Demantoid. I too was perplexed by the mint garnet. My main criteria with CS, besides strength, is looking good in different lighting. So I’m thinking that maybe I don’t lust for one, after thinking about it!

 

[Jopdrop]

I find medium green tsavorites can look good in pretty much all light. I have about 10 and there are a few that always look good. It’s that medium neon green colour that always looks good. Lighter tones and darker tones are definitely quite moody. Spess is another that always looks good! I have a few of them and every one is always “on”.
I find reds, pinks and purples of any type are quite moody. The vendor photos often look amazing but they are often quite dark IRL.

 

[NKOTB]

Spess, tsav, and light pinks work for me (some may not like the light peach shift but I love it), and leuco.

 

[Crimson]

All my garnets are badly behaved because they change colour
@mellowyellowgirl you make me want to run out and get a spess!
@Autumn in New England only added to that by mentioning red spess…
Here is a delicious one - a kissing spess that Alexander Laut showed me. It is big and fab. Sigh…

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

@Crimson do it!!!! You know you want to!!!

I love this ring from him.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Love love love! I went crazy over it while I was making my sister's ring.

 

[Neptune]

Keeping it real, here is my spessartite.

You are right, garnet could be VERY sparkly.

 

[Neptune]

Interesting question. This cab looks great in all light.


This spess looks spectacular (much better than the pic) under an overcast sky, and good most of the time. But sometimes (as in the pic) it looks more burnt orange, and occasionally (overcast sky under an umbrella) positively brown.



This red-orange spess holds its colour in all light. But the pic is a bit flattering - really it's a bit oranger and darker. Maybe what you are looking for?


FWIW, I find this tsavorite looks good in all light. It's brighter than the pic. I have other darker ones that are not as good IMO.


This malaia is very shifty - varying shades of pink and salmon. Not the strongest colour, but attractive in all lights. Maybe more so than darker toned stones. Also maybe what you are looking for?

I keep thinking that you work for Ara Vartanian, haha

 

[Neptune]

Spess, in the right color and cut. Not all spess will make the grade.

I actually quite love grape garnets as they are so pretty when they are purple. Can be moody but I can take it. I don’t remember mine turning black? They look mostly better than another purple that I have (the big one) but of course, my big one is big and in such a pretty setting so I love it too lol.

Haven’t seen a red garnet that does decently well other than in the best lighting condition or in vendor pics. Hard pass until they can behave. I have one but still unset along with a mint garnet.

Greens… moody but so pretty when they are good. I also have an included tsav that actually looks good in nearly all lights and is less moody than my trade ideal green ones. Not as glowy looking irl but below gives an idea.


Hmm… so reading what I wrote I think I’ve learnt to accept and love most of my stones, flaws and all, even if they don’t always look their best.

Don't forget your "tiny" spess, I miss it so much because you don't wear it enough.

 

[Crimson]

Interesting question. This cab looks great in all light.


This spess looks spectacular (much better than the pic) under an overcast sky, and good most of the time. But sometimes (as in the pic) it looks more burnt orange, and occasionally (overcast sky under an umbrella) positively brown.


This red-orange spess holds its colour in all light. But the pic is a bit flattering - really it's a bit oranger and darker. Maybe what you are looking for?


FWIW, I find this tsavorite looks good in all light. It's brighter than the pic. I have other darker ones that are not as good IMO.


This malaia is very shifty - varying shades of pink and salmon. Not the strongest colour, but attractive in all lights. Maybe more so than darker toned stones. Also maybe what you are looking for?

@Starstruck8 what a shudderingly attractive collection!
@Neptune i never tire of seeing your gorgeous Boodles ring!

 

[Crimson]

@Crimson do it!!!! You know you want to!!!

I love this ring from him.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Love love love! I went crazy over it while I was making my sister's ring.

@mellowyellowgirl you did a wonderful job with your sister’s ring. You must be the best sis ever.
I need to take a break after the Muzo emerald, the Barbie galaxy ring and the cobalt spinel ring (haven’t shared the finished product yet).
My sis and aunt will be in Lisbon soon, and probably visiting Lisbon store there. Help…

 

[icy_jade]

In meh lighting and led downlight



The orange are spess, the dark greens tsav, light green is mint garnet, trilliant purple is grape garnet, big purple is some pyrope almandine mix I think, and unset dark blob is a rhodolite (I think) in precision cut no less.

 

[CBianco]

Here's a couple more pics of the grape garnet, you can see it blacks out in sunlight (which doesn't work for me as I'm very outdoorsy lol, others may be okay with that). It's not as bad irl as in the pics but you get the idea. Last pic is in shade, it's still purple and not black completely but far from the ideal color it can have.

 

[icy_jade]

Here's a couple more pics of the grape garnet, you can see it blacks out in sunlight (doesn't work for me as I'm very outdoorsy lol). It's not as bad irl as in the pics but you get the idea. Last pic is in shade, it's still purple and not black completely but far from the ideal color it can have.

I rem my grape garnets as being quite nice. Will try to play with them again and let you know how it goes. Your garnet actually reminds me of a rhodolite that I have.

 

[CBianco]

I rem my grape garnets as being quite nice. Will try to play with them again and let you know how it goes. Your garnet actually reminds me of a rhodolite that I have.

It's still nice, the pics are still worse than in person but yea I'm sending it back because I feel like it's too expensive

 

[Mjay]

Here's a couple more pics of the grape garnet, you can see it blacks out in sunlight (which doesn't work for me as I'm very outdoorsy lol, others may be okay with that). It's not as bad irl as in the pics but you get the idea. Last pic is in shade, it's still purple and not black completely but far from the ideal color it can have.

I’m glad you shared this. I’ve been very close to pulling the trigger on a grape garnet. The blackout would definitely bug me.

 

[Mjay]

I’m loving all of these garnets. I was casually looking for a bright orange spess when I found my orange sapphire. I had decided that I didn’t need one anymore, but now after seeing all these pictures; I’ve come to the conclusion that I still need one! Just more red toned.