Tsavorite Garnet & Spessartite Garnet: Bold & Untreated Rare Gemstones
If you still think of garnet as just a deep red stone, it’s time to reconsider.
Vibrant green tsavorite garnet and fiery orange spessartite garnet — often known as mandarin garnet — are capturing attention from collectors, jewellers, and investors alike.
“Tsavorite and spessartite are two of the fastest-growing areas in gemstone collecting,” says Matthew Ely. “They offer bold colour, they’re almost always untreated, and they’re still accessible — but that won’t last forever.”
What is Garnet?
Garnet isn’t a single gem but a family of minerals sharing similar structures. While classic garnet may bring deep red to mind, this family spans a spectrum of vivid, naturally occurring colours, most of which are entirely untreated.
What is Garnet?
Garnet isn’t a single gem but a family of minerals sharing similar structures. While classic garnet may bring deep red to mind, this family spans a spectrum of vivid, naturally occurring colours, most of which are entirely untreated.
Tsavorite Garnet: The Vivid Green Treasure
First discovered in Kenya’s Tsavo National Park in the 1960s, tsavorite garnet stunned the gem world with its pure, intense green. Unlike emerald, tsavorite boasts natural brilliance with fewer inclusions and no treatments. Its rich colour is 100% natural.
“In my opinion, tsavorite is one of the most beautiful greens in the gem world,” says Matthew. “It’s cleaner than emerald, brighter, and completely untreated.”
Why tsavorite garnet is growing in demand?
- Highly collectible for its vivid green colour and rarity.
- Offers better clarity and brilliance than emerald.
- Prices have been steadily increasing — especially for stones over 2 carats.
- Popular in high jewellery and bespoke creations.
Tsavorite garnet buying tip:
Prioritise vivid, saturated green with good clarity. Clean tsavorite garnet over 2ct is rare and rising in value.
Tsavorite Garnet: The Vivid Green Treasure
First discovered in Kenya’s Tsavo National Park in the 1960s, tsavorite garnet stunned the gem world with its pure, intense green. Unlike emerald, tsavorite boasts natural brilliance with fewer inclusions and no treatments. Its rich colour is 100% natural.
“In my opinion, tsavorite is one of the most beautiful greens in the gem world,” says Matthew. “It’s cleaner than emerald, brighter, and completely untreated.”
Why tsavorite garnet is growing in demand?
- Highly collectible for its vivid green colour and rarity.
- Offers better clarity and brilliance than emerald.
- Prices have been steadily increasing — especially for stones over 2 carats.
- Popular in high jewellery and bespoke creations.
Tsavorite garnet buying tip:
Prioritise vivid, saturated green with good clarity. Clean tsavorite garnet over 2ct is rare and rising in value.
Spessartite Garnet: The Fanta-Orange Firestone
Known as mandarin garnet when in its most vivid form, spessartite garnet is gaining ground for its vibrant orange hue. Unlike most coloured gems, spessartite comes straight from the earth, with no treatment required — glowing in fiery shades of orange, tangerine, and burnt amber.
“There’s nothing like that pure mandarin orange in a spessartite garnet,” Matthew says. “It’s bold, lively, and still undervalued in the market.
Why spessartite garnet is growing in demand?
- The vibrant orange is unmatched in other gemstones.
- Rising demand among collectors seeking bold, untreated colour.
- Rare in larger sizes — most fine stones are under 2 carats.
- A fresh favourite in cocktail rings and statement jewellery.
Spessartine garnet buying tip: Look for that intense Fanta orange hue with strong brilliance. Stones over 3ct with vivid colour are highly collectible.
Spessartite Garnet: The Fanta-Orange Firestone
Known as mandarin garnet when in its most vivid form, spessartite garnet is gaining ground for its vibrant orange hue. Unlike most coloured gems, spessartite comes straight from the earth, with no treatment required — glowing in fiery shades of orange, tangerine, and burnt amber.
“There’s nothing like that pure mandarin orange in a spessartite garnet,” Matthew says. “It’s bold, lively, and still undervalued in the market.
Why spessartite garnet is growing in demand?
- The vibrant orange is unmatched in other gemstones.
- Rising demand among collectors seeking bold, untreated colour.
- Rare in larger sizes — most fine stones are under 2 carats.
- A fresh favourite in cocktail rings and statement jewellery.
Spessartine garnet buying tip: Look for that intense Fanta orange hue with strong brilliance. Stones over 3ct with vivid colour are highly collectible.
How to Buy Tsavorite & Spessartite Garnet?
Prioritise Vivid Colour: Saturation and vibrancy drive value — especially in tsavorite and spessartite. A vibrant grassy or emerald green for tsavorite, and a 'Fanta orange' colour for mandarin garnet.
Expect Natural Inclusions: Particularly in tsavorite, minor inclusions are common but shouldn’t dull brilliance. Completely 'clean' stones are rare and incredible valuable, especially over 2 carats.
Seek Certification: Especially for high-value stones, a gemmological report confirms natural origin and treatment status.
Understand Size Rarity: Stones over 2ct are increasingly rare and priced accordingly. Even a well-cut 1ct tsavorite with vivid colour can be a top-tier gem.
Source Matters: Buy from reputable jewellers with a strong understanding of garnet varieties and provenance.
“With tsavorite and spessartite, colour and brilliance are everything,” says Matthew. “If a stone lights up when you move it, that’s the one to buy — whether it’s one carat or five.”
How To Buy Tsavorite & Spessartite Garnet?
Prioritise Vivid Colour: Saturation and vibrancy drive value — especially in tsavorite and spessartite. A vibrant grassy or emerald green for tsavorite, and a 'Fanta orange' colour for mandarin garnet.
Expect Natural Inclusions: Particularly in tsavorite, minor inclusions are common but shouldn’t dull brilliance. Completely 'clean' stones are rare and incredible valuable, especially over 2 carats.
Seek Certification: Especially for high-value stones, a gemmological report confirms natural origin and treatment status.
Understand Size Rarity: Stones over 2ct are increasingly rare and priced accordingly. Even a well-cut 1ct tsavorite with vivid colour can be a top-tier gem.
Source Matters: Buy from reputable jewellers with a strong understanding of garnet varieties and provenance.
“With tsavorite and spessartite, colour and brilliance are everything,” says Matthew. “If a stone lights up when you move it, that’s the one to buy — whether it’s one carat or five.”
Tsavorite garnet and spessartite garnet (or 'mandarin garnet') are shaking up the gem world with bold, untreated colour and growing demand. From vivid greens to Fanta oranges, find out why these rare garnets are skyrocketing.
