How the Clarity of Garnet Affects its Value
Garnets that are perfectly clear are quite rare. The clearer the garnet, the higher quality it is and the more valuable it is. Among red garnets, those with very poor clarity (that are usually made into beads and cabochons) are never very expensive. The luster of garnet – one of its greatest assets- doesn’t get to show off unless the garnet is faceted. And for a garnet to be faceted, it needs to have good enough clarity so that we can see the light reflected from the facets.
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| Terrible Clarity: This is what garnet of poor clarity looks like. These beads don’t capture the light. They are so full of internal flaws that they almost look opaque. | Poor Clarity: This garnet cabochon has much better clarity than the beads to the left. While there are no obvious inclusions inside it, there is a general haziness inside the stone. | Imperfect Clarity: This garnet gemstone is mostly clear. However, there are a few obvious significant inclusions that are very visible and detract from its value. | Very Good Clarity: Here is a garnet with perfect clarity. The light passes through the stone and is reflected without obstruction. There are no visible internal flaws. |
