Demantoid garnet is by far the most rare and valuable garnet. Fine peices can command prices similar to ruby or sapphire. These garnets are special because they have similar properties to diamonds (hence the name). For example, they have very high dispersion (ability to reflect light in rainbow colors) and very high luster. It is extremely rare to find demantoid garnets over a carat or so in size. Perfect clarity is also quite rare.
The Most Valuable Demantoid Garnet
The most valuable demantoid garnet is large (over 1 carat), perfectly cut with brilliant “fire”(dispersion), with very good clarity except for fine “horse tail” inclusions, and intense bright green color.
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| Lowest Value: These garnet beads have terrible clarity. They are so included that they were made into beads instead of being faceted. We cannot see any rainbow :”fire”. The color of these beads is also brownish and dull. These peices are examples of the least valuable demantoid garnet. | Medium Value: This demantoid garnet has a very poor cut. The facets are random and uneven and it does not reflect and split light as well as it should. The color is also somewhat murky – not bright. Otherwise, it is of a good size and pretty good clarity. | High Value: This demantoid garnet is of a good size (over 1 carat) and good cut. It shows strong dispersion (rainbow reflections). It also has an intense (though too dark) color. The main fault of this gemstone is its very poor clarity. | Highest Value: While the color of this garnet could be stronger, it does have excellent clarity andcut and is over 1 carat. This is about as good as it can get. |
