How tough are garnets?

[mellowyellowgirl]

I know what their moh is etc etc but I'm trying to look for more anecdotal evidence.

Anyone been wearing garnet rings around with abandon and can tell me how you find them in terms of chipping etc

They're supposed to be similar to tourmaline but tourmaline gets a bit of a bad rep as not being particularly durable.

Thanks folks!

 

[Autumn in New England]

It depends on the type... pyrope/almandine/spessartine is a 7-7.5 mohs and andradite/grossular is a 6.5-7. Garnet lacks cleavage, which is great, but it can be a bit brittle. That being said, I'm a big garnet fan, and I've never had a fear of or issue with wearing them. I think they're absolutely suitable for regular wear. Naturally though, I don't recommend beating them up.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Thanks so much @Autumn in New England!

Looks like I'm destined to wear that cheap blue sapphire anywhere rough!!!

 

[Starstruck8]

I thought that this setting for a spessartite was about as protective as it's possible to get:


But it was not protective enough!


I don't know when or how I chipped the stone. To be fair, I wear the ring quite a lot, there are no scratches (that I've noticed...) and the chip is barely noticeable without a loupe.

My other garnet rings (more than ten, including two with demantoids) have no scratches or chips that I have noticed. I have only one tourmaline ring, which I bought recently, so I can't make any fair comparison.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Nooooooooooo

Well I wanted to know!!!

Where do you wear it? Around everywhere???

Thank you!!! Hehe I see I've struck jackpot in a garnet wearer! I only own the one so far.

 

[Autumn in New England]

I thought that this setting for a spessartite was about as protective as it's possible to get:


But it was not protective enough!


I don't know when or how I chipped the stone. To be fair, I wear the ring quite a lot, there are no scratches (that I've noticed...) and the chip is barely noticeable without a loupe.

My other garnet rings (more than ten, including two with demantoids) have no scratches or chips that I have noticed. I have only one tourmaline ring, which I bought recently, so I can't make any fair comparison.

Hey Star, do you think the jeweler did it while crafting the ring? Back when I thought morganite was the greatest stone ever (no offense to morganite actually... still think it's lovely, I just hate that most are irradiated), the setter gouged the entire length of the table with the prong pusher. It was a 15ct. cushion cut (only cost about $75 to polish out, which they paid, grudgingly). Anyway, you said you wore the ring frequently, so maybe it was a bump or something. I'm sure it's quite tiny in person. Beautiful piece regardless!!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Thanks so much @Autumn in New England!

Looks like I'm destined to wear that cheap blue sapphire anywhere rough!!!

Your "cheap" sapphire is still a looker though!!

 

[Starstruck8]

Nooooooooooo

Well I wanted to know!!!

Where do you wear it? Around everywhere???

Thank you!!! Hehe I see I've struck jackpot in a garnet wearer! I only own the one so far.

Well, I don't wear only garnets. I have plenty of other stones - star sapphires, sapphires, spinel, emerald, zircon, opal...

But I do love garnets, especially tsavorite and spessartite. Leaving aside the colours, they are beautifully clean and sparkly. I'm happy to wear them just about anywhere, with the obvious exceptions: gardening, housework, handyman work, bushwalking etc. Apart from that, I wear them (most set in less protective rings than this one) without worry.

Hey Star, do you think the jeweler did it while crafting the ring?

I did wonder that. But honestly, I doubt it. It is one of my favourite rings, and I wear it a lot. The chip is at the most exposed point. My guess is that I bumped a door handle. As you suggest, you would have to be looking closely and deliberately to even notice it without a loupe.

(only cost about $75 to polish out, which they paid, grudgingly)

Boo! That seems a remarkably small amount to be grudging about. Especially since it was clearly their fault.

 

[Cerulean]

My mother wore a garnet ring for 5 years as a wedding ring. It was bezeled and low set.

It’s a checkerboard pattern, and has some obvious facet wear, but no chips and it’s frankly in great shape because I expect she gave it no extra care.

I personally love garnets.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Boo! That seems a remarkably small amount to be grudging about. Especially since it was clearly their fault.

It's funny because, even just being acquainted with me as a fellow PS member, you know a scratch running the entire length of a 15ct. beryl's table is not something I would have "missed" when I bought the stone. As soon as I opened the ring box, it was the only thing I saw, and it was obvious the jeweler's prong pusher had slipped. I contacted the designer within 10 minutes of receiving the package. She tried to insinuate that it was already there or I banged the ring. lol How do you "bang" a 20mm scratch into a stone? I told her I didn't even take it out of the ring box yet. When I had the scratch polished out, the first thing the lap said was... the prong pusher slipped. For $75 and an inane denial, they lost a good customer.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Hey Star, do you think the jeweler did it while crafting the ring? Back when I thought morganite was the greatest stone ever (no offense to morganite actually... still think it's lovely, I just hate that most are irradiated), the setter gouged the entire length of the table with the prong pusher. It was a 15ct. cushion cut (only cost about $75 to polish out, which they paid, grudgingly). Anyway, you said you wore the ring frequently, so maybe it was a bump or something. I'm sure it's quite tiny in person. Beautiful piece regardless!!

Ooh may I see your morganite???

I didn't know it was irradiated! It was vaguely on my "list"

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

For $75 and an inane denial, they lost a good customer.

It really does baffle me the things people will deny. Not just jewelry but with life in general. It's really strange because there are situations where admittance would just garner a hand wave and everyone would move on but they insist on denial!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Ooh may I see your morganite???

I didn't know it was irradiated! It was vaguely on my "list"

I'm sure that not all are, but it's one of those scenarios where they are all presumed to be, because labs cannot make a definitive determination. In this case, it's done to drive off the more orange tones, because folks have begun to prefer them more pink. I actually like a "pad" shade myself. Most folks don't mind treatments, as long as they're permanent. So I hope I didn't ruin it for you! It's a gorgeous ring though... never worn. I'm actually selling it, if you know anyone. It's a big boy with substantial gold weight.

Specs:

~I just checked and the morganite is actually 13.07ct. (16x12mm)
~Morganite color is a perfect 50/50 orange to pink split... well saturated for a morg
~Morganite is completely eye clean or better
~Diamond weight is 1.15ctw. (they're about 1.5mm each)
~Diamonds are F-G color and VS clarity (there are 70 in total)
~18k rose gold
~Currently a size 6, but can be resized

Sort of lousy pix, sorry.

 

[Autumn in New England]

It really does baffle me the things people will deny. Not just jewelry but with life in general. It's really strange because there are situations where admittance would just garner a hand wave and everyone would move on but they insist on denial!

This is so true! You know why I think she denied it at first (even though she outsourced the manufacturing)? I think she thought it was going to be an expensive fix or that the stone was permanently ruined. When I told her $75, she changed her tune and was super nice. The damage was done though, ya know? If she has been receptive at first, I may have worked with her again.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

So pretty @Autumn in New England

And huge!!!!!

In lieu of you not wearing the morganite, may I interfere and ask if you can back out of the opal (I read about it in the other thread but didn't want to derail it, feel more comfortable derailing my own!)?

Will you wear it? You don't want to drop money on something you won't wear.......

 

[Autumn in New England]

So pretty @Autumn in New England

And huge!!!!!

In lieu of you not wearing the morganite, may I interfere and ask if you can back out of the opal (I read about it in the other thread but didn't want to derail it, feel more comfortable derailing my own!)?

Will you wear it? You don't want to drop money on something you won't wear.......

I'll definitely wear the opal for special occasions (so as not to risk damaging it). The morganite ring was too big for me (I'm a size 5.5), and I never did get around to resizing it. It's heavy, so it needs to fit well. I can't back out of the opal purchase now, but I am sort of excited about some new options. I'm going to ask Yssie what she thinks in the other thread. Stay tuned.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I'll definitely wear the opal for special occasions (so as not to risk damaging it). The morganite ring was too big for me (I'm a size 5.5), and I never did get around to resizing it. It's heavy, so it needs to fit well. I can't back out of the opal purchase now, but I am sort of excited about some new options. I'm going to ask Yssie what she thinks in the other thread. Stay tuned.

Post pics if possible!!!!!

I'm prowling around on ban island, enjoying other people's purchases!!!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Post pics if possible!!!!!

I'm prowling around on ban island, enjoying other people's purchases!!!

I posted them on my opal thread. Please go look and tell me what you think! I'd like to think I'm a CS veteran, but I'm finding out black opal is a whole other ballgame.

 

[Avondale]

Looks like I'm destined to wear that cheap blue sapphire anywhere rough!!!

Excuse me, just because it was cheap to buy and make doesn't make it cheap... it makes it a bargain!