Mandarin garnet
Mandarin garnet belongs to the garnet family and is an orange colored variety of it, which gets its name from its color. Another name is Kunene spessartine, named after where it was found. Its color is caused by traces of manganese.
Mandarin Garnet, Sri Lanka (10.56 ct)
Class: Silicates
Genesis: Metamorph
Colors: From orange to brown-orange
Hardness: 6,5-7
Most important occurrences: Angola, Namibia
The first finds of Mandarin Garnet were 20 years ago at the Kunene River.
Sizes over 8 carats are rare and fine qualities over 10 carats have been rising in value since they became known. This is due to the fact that there are few high-quality gemstones with the color orange.
