garnet engagement ring Archives

Orange Garnet – January’s Radiant Jewel

For those lucky individuals with January birthdays, there are a lot of options from which to choose when it comes to garnet stones. An oft-overlooked color of garnet is the radiant orange garnet, also known by its mineral classifications hessonite, spessartine, and mandarin. Hessonite, also known as Cinnamon Stone, is a type of grossular, which is a species of garnet. Hessonite has a very distinct red hue which gravitates toward orange and yellow, though hessonite is often heavily included and is rarely used in jewelry. Spessartine, on the other hand, is another species of garnet with characteristic orange and light-red color tones. Finally, mandarin garnets are a specific type of spessartine with a fiery and radiant orange color. We know that’s a lot of different terms to throw around, so let’s take a look at the history of these beautiful stones, how you might use the orange garnets to create unique engagement rings or wedding bands with a stunning and innovative look, and what to look for in a high-quality orange garnet.

Hessonite-Garnet-300x168 Gemstones — Hessonite Garnet

Spessartite-examples-300x169 Gemstones — Spessartite/Mandarin Garnet

The History of Orange Garnets

The garnet stone has a rich and detailed historical legacy. Emperors, kings, philosophers, generals, and famous individuals of all kinds have worn jewelry adorned with beautiful garnet stones for centuries. The garnet has been exceedingly popular in Europe, especially throughout the 1700’s and 1800’s, wherein they were prized for their rich hues and tones. In fact, Spanish astrologers once used the garnet to signify the sun – indeed, the orange garnet is almost perfect for representing the radiant beauty of the sun. We have only seen the garnet in present in a variety of mythological and literary works, thus lending credence to the fact that the garnet is one of the most desirable gemstones in the entire industry and has been for some time.

What to Look for in an Orange Garnet

As with all gemstones, your primary considerations with orange garnets are going to revolve around clarity and color, as well as durability. Most spessartines, including mandarin garnets, have excellent Mohs hardness and durability while also sporting strong and deep colors and excellent clarity. At Knox Jewelers, we will help you to select the perfect orange garnet for your piece and ensure that it passes muster in all aspects to ensure that your engagement ring or wedding band is absolutely perfect and stunning.

What Makes Garnet The Perfect January Birthstone

Orange may not be the most popular color when it comes to gemstones, but don’t be too quick to write off orange garnets. Spessartine and mandarin garnets can be combined with a variety of different metals to create a truly beautiful piece which is both exciting and elegant. For centuries, orange gemstones have been used to create jewelry with evocative and rich feelings, images, and patterns, all of which have contributed to the uniqueness and fashion of these orange garnets. For individuals seeking to integrate a powerful red gemstone into their jewelry, and especially for those individuals with January birthdays, an orange garnet is the perfect choice.

Garnet Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands

At Knox Jewelers, we have crafted a rich and varied collection of unique engagement rings and wedding bands for our customers in the past. All of the designs we have created for our customers can utilize any gemstone you can imagine, including orange garnets. A stunning combination is to utilize a white gold or platinum band in conjunction with an orange garnet setting – the contrast of these two elements creates a stunning and exciting synthesis of color, elegance, and beauty, all of which contribute to making your custom engagement ring or wedding band a one of a kind piece of jewelry.

Have Any Questions? We’re Here to Help!

If you are thinking about utilizing an orange garnet gemstone in a custom jewelry piece, then please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have. Here at Knox Jewelers, we have long worked with orange garnets and have crafted some truly exquisite pieces for our customers, and we would be happy to help you design a unique ring which uniquely describes you or your loved one. We are not only available to answer your questions, but we would also be glad to walk you through the entire process of designing a unique piece of jewelry just for you, from start to finish. We look forward to meeting you and working together with you soon!

Green Garnet – January’s Great Beauty

While red garnets are among the most popular variants of garnet on the market today, two types of green garnet, Tsavorite and Demantoid, are also stunning, beautiful, and perfect for that special someone with a January birthday. At Knox Jewelers, we enjoy creating custom rings with our customers to include colorful center stones or whatever other details you may desire. Let’s take a closer look now at the different between the Tasvorite and Demantoid garnet types and see which one is best suited for you.

Tsavorite: Perfect Clarity, Color, and Strength

Tsavorite derives its name from the location where it was found in Tsavo, Kenya. It was discovered by Campbell Bridges, a Scottish geologist who dedicated his life to championing the African gem mining industry. The unique properties of Tasvorite are derived from the fact that it is completely natural and produced entirely in nature – in other words, no heating or other artificial processes are necessary. Tsavorite is known for its intensely green color and outstanding dispersion and brilliance, important factors which make it more than an equal match for emerald. In fact, Tsavorite is even more durable than comparable emerald gemstones, making it a superior option at only a fraction of the cost.

Demantoid: Among the Most Brilliant

Demantoid (meaning ‘ diamond like ‘) is another type of green garnet that is most well known for its higher refractive index and dispersion when compared to Tasvorite and other green grossular variants. Although relatively obscure in terms of popularity, demantoid is among the most brilliant of gemstones, and most definitely so among the garnet family. As a green andradite, it has slightly better intrinsic properties than its counterparts, though it is also somewhat softer. Demantoid garnet is stunning, and was the favored gem of Imperial Russia for time. This particular garnet variation is rare however, and can be quite expensive to acquire jewelry grade gems.

Custom Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands by Knox Jewelers

Both Tsavorite and Demantoid are fantastic choices for those customers who are looking to design a unique engagement ring or wedding band with a green garnet stone setting. Green garnet stones can be coupled with practically any kind band or design, including the various golds (white, rose, yellow), platinum, and more. Furthermore, the designs we have crafted from scratch for customers in the past can be outfitted with a green garnet stones for a unique and beautiful touch.

Get in Touch with Us!

We are a friendly crowd here at Knox Jewelers, and we are more than happy to answer any questions you may have about green garnet stones. We are gladly able to assist you in coming up with a unique design that incorporates the exact metals, flourishes, and garnet stones you desire, while also working together with you in a collaborative process. Naturally, you’ll want to act sooner than later – green garnet stones are still relatively less known than emeralds and other more popular gemstones, thus making them considerably less expensive than their comparatively sized counterparts. Get in touch with us soon!

Red Garnet – January’s Splendor

If you were one of those lucky babies who had the fortune of being born in January, then do we have some great news for you. The beautiful, exquisite, and jaw-dropping garnet is your birthstone, and while it has numerous color variants, none are perhaps as intense and fiery as the red garnet. Although red garnets are the most common color of garnet, the term “garnet” actually describe a group of closely related minerals, many of which have different colors. For our purposes, however, we will be focusing exclusively on the red garnet in this article and all of its unique variations and styles.

The History of the Garnet Gemstone

The first known uses of red garnet stones are found around the necks of ancient Egyptian pharaohs, whose mummified remains are adorned by them. In ancient Rome, rings which were built for the express purpose of stamping the durable wax which sealed documents had carved garnets. As history progressed into the Middle Ages, members of the clergy adopted the red garnet as their signature stone. Since these early times, garnets have been exceedingly popular in society, and the garnet still retains its prestige and popularity even thousands of years later – and not just among the upper classes, these days. Let’s take a look now at some of the different forms of the red garnet we offer as a stone setting option at Knox Jewelers.

The Types of Garnets

As stated previously, the garnet describes a family of different but related minerals. In particular, we want to highlight Almandine and Pyrope garnets, as well as their red colored variants mozambique and rhodalite. Each serves a specific purpose and has its own unique characteristics and properties.

Almandine is the most common type of garnet. Although most stones of this type are generally unsuitable for use in unique jewelry, it is often mixed with Pyrope to form mozambique, a generally pure red variant with a slightly lighter tone than similar garnets. Most almandine stones by themselves are not directly used in jewelry.

Pyrope is a blood-red variant of garnet, and it is absolutely stunning, especially when combined with Almandine to form mozambique. It is durable, strong, and quite stunning. A specific subtype of Pyrope, rhodalite, gets its name for its rose-like color and inclusion-free appearance. It too is often used in garnet jewelry, and it has a very lovely appearance that balances well with white gold and yellow gold.

Red Garnet Engagement Rings at Knox Jewelers

At Knox Jewelers, we have been crafting unique engagement rings and custom jewelery with red garnet stones for many years. Any of our custom engagement rings can be outfitted with a garnet stone setting, and the red color of these gemstones looks absolutely stunning with gold metals, platinum, and more. Our garnet jewelry is perfect for that special someone who happens to have a January birthday.

Any one of our intricately handcrafted bands or other types of jewelry can be used in conjunction with a red garnet stone setting, including engagement rings, wedding bands, pendants, earrings, and more. We are more than happy to help you craft the perfect combination of metal, custom design work, and red garnet stone that will truly make January a memorable month for your beloved.

Caring for Garnet

Caring for our custom engagement rings or other custom jewelry which uses garnet stones is essential for the longevity of the piece. Garnet is generally regarded as a tough stone and is quite durable, but it still should not be subjected to hard impacts or harsh chemicals. The ideal method for cleaning garnet items involves the use of warm water and soap, though ultrasonic cleaners are also effective, save for stones with fractures – generally, however, we advise using a soft tooth brush and soapy warm water to gently scrub the jewelry.

Have Any Questions?

We personally cannot think of a better gift for your loved one with a January birthday than red garnet custom jewelry. If you have any questions at all about the qualities and attributes of the many different kinds of red garnet, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We look forward to helping you design the perfect engagement ring or other jewelry for your loved one!