How to Evalutate Mandarin Garnet Jewelry

Mandarin garnets are beautiful, in high demand and exist in an unknown quantity that may be quite limited.

Mandarin garnets are very rare and seldom seen in retail jewelry stores. They are actually related to January's more common red garnet, but they were discovered in the 1990s and have been in high demand ever since. Mandarin garnets tend to be a fiery orange-red color, and only occasionally are they truly "top quality." However, there are some good enhanced stones available on the market, and many flawed stones can be cut to take advantage of their flaws rather than hide them.

Things You'll Need

• Jeweler's lens

Instructions

1. 

   Evaluate the setting. Mandarin garnets have an unusually high brilliance and can really shine even in a bezel setting, which can darken some jewels. However, with proper faceting, an unflawed mandarin garnet can be nearly blinding in a raised setting. These stones are also exceptionally hard, which makes them ideal stones for daily wear and makes your choice of settings nearly limitless.

2. Inquire about the origin of the stone. The rarest and most valuable mandarin garnets come from Namibia. However, lesser-quality stones that are still stunning and beautiful are also mined in Nigeria. Nigerian stones are generally of slightly lower quality, but they are still extremely valuable, as the supply of this gemstone is so limited.

3. Examine the top surface. While interior flaws can actually be used to a stone's advantage by increasing the play of light within the stone, there should not be nicks, cuts or scratches on the top of the stone. These will never work to a stone's advantage, unless you are buying it as an artistic piece rather than a traditionally valued gem.

4. 

   Select your preferred color. These gems range from a bright, true orange to more yellow and brownish shades. The most valuable is the true, fiery orange, but the other shades are also quite beautiful.

Tips & Warnings

• Mandarin garnets are extremely rare. If you encounter them in a retail jewelry store, make sure that you are indeed purchasing a legitimate stone. Get an objective opinion from a trusted jeweler before you buy.