The Jeweler's Eye
My photo
I am a jewelry designer and gemologist. I love creating beautiful heirloom jewelry for clients all over the world. In this blog, I feature many of my designs and current projects as well as articles about colored gemstones, diamonds and antique jewelry. As a historian and lover of antique and estate jewelry, I am often inspired by jewels from the past.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Mandarin Garnet


Mandarin Garnet is a very special type of Spessartite Garnet from Namibia. In finer qualities, it displays a vivid orange hue that is reminiscent of Mandarin Oranges. Being a redhead, I am a big fan of Mandarin Garnet and search for stones that exemplify the classic vibrant orange hue of this Namibian beauty.

The above Mandarin is a gem I purchased because of it's fabulous color and exceptional cutting. It is a trillium shaped concave facetted cut that has just the right color combined with a dazzling array of brilliance.

And this spectacular gem is au natural .... meaning it has not been heat treated or enhanced. It weighs 3.12 carats and measures 9 mm .



Here's a picture of how the gem looks against the hand.......just gorgeous, don't you agree?

I think this stone is perfect for an exciting custom ring design but I can also see it featured in a striking pendant or necklace design.

When I purchase gemstones for my inventory and designing box, I look for stones that have exceptional color and cut....but I also seek out stones that have unusual shapes and styles of cut. My design ideas are often inspired by the gem itself and I like to build a jewel that focuses attention on the unique qualities of the gemstone.

This Mandarin Garnet is available and the price is only $2,850. If you are a fan of Mandarin Garnet and would like to purchase this stone and work with me on a custom made jewel, please send me an email.

No comments: