Light green garnet?

[FairieMoon]

I recently aquired a ring that I was told is a green garnet. To my eyes, the color is more green tinted yellow, similar to a peridot but not as bright of a color. It is a decent size stone, and to anyone that looks at my finger, they think it is a rare colored diamond. The stone is what I call checker board cut, which seems to give it lots of sparkle, and it is rectangular shaped.

How do I find out what type of garnet I have?

 

[LD]

There are a number of options, Mali Garnet, Tsavorite, etc etc. If you can post pictures I know there are some garnet experts that read the forum who will probably be able to make an educated guess.

The other option of course (and I''m guessing this isn''t the case) is that it could be a Prasiolite i(sometimes called Green Amethyst)? They are often checkerboard cut and can have a yellow tone? I doubt it from what you said but thought I''d mention it.

 

[chrono]

It's rather hard to guess based on just some descriptions. Can you attach a picture? What is the approximate size or measurement of the gemstone? Any idea how old is the ring? Metal type?

 

[Harriet]

If it performs like a diamond, it could also be a demantoid (a member of the andradite species).

 

[FairieMoon]

I am going to try to attach some pictures in a minute, but I only have cell phone pics as we have lost the cord to my digital camera. The dimensions on the stone is about 7mm wide by 10mm long. 14k white gold, inside the band it says kk 68g. It has 4 diamonds, one in each of the waves on the sides of the setting.

 

[FairieMoon]

another pic.

 

[FairieMoon]

last pic.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 10/15/2008 11:19:35 PM
Author: Harriet
If it performs like a diamond, it could also be a demantoid (a member of the andradite species).

or a mali garnet......mine sparkles like the dickens.

movie zombie

 

[VRBeauty]

From those pics I have to say it looks a lot like one of my green amethysts. Can you give us any more information about the stone or the setting? Does the setting protect the edges of the stone?

 

[Harriet]

It doesn''t look like a Demantoid or a Tsavorite to me. MZ, your call on its being a Mali?

 

[FairieMoon]

The setting is just 4 prong and all the sides are exposed of the stone. The color to me is what you would get mixing a citrine with a peridot. The color seems deeper on the edges, as when you look straight down you see a smaller rectangle.
I am sorry I do not know much more, just what I see and what the store said.

 

[ma re]

Maybe this little test could help - tear a small piece of newspaper and place it between the stone and the band. Then try to read the letters looking through the stone''s table, making sure you look straight at the paper (not at an angle). If letters look fuzzy, and seem to have double edges, that''s not a garnet. If letters look sharp and clear you could have a garnet, but also a spinel, a flourite, a cz or (just in theory) a diamond among other things. If it''s a garnet my bet would be a mali garnet.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 10/16/2008 2:03:32 AM
Author: Harriet
It doesn''t look like a Demantoid or a Tsavorite to me. MZ, your call on its being a Mali?

I''d put money on it not being a garnet - definitely doesn''t look like any mali I''ve seen.

My guess would be ''green'' amethyst.

 

[FairieMoon]

I can read words clearly through it when I tried the test.

 

[FairieMoon]

How do I find out if it truly is a green amethyst then?
My receipt says .8 garnet.
Based on what I have read, a garnet and a green amethyst are no where near the same as far being equal. If it ends up a green amethyst, I feel mislead.

 

[ma re]

.8 garnet?

It sure can''t be neither, an 0,8 ct garnet, nor an 8,0 ct garnet - too small for both, but that doesen''t mean it can''t be some kind (and size) of garnet. That test I mentioned, it''s not a question of can you read letters, but do they have double lines along the edges or look a bit fuzzy. BTW that''s test is not a 100% sure to tell you anything, it should give you a clue as to whether the stone is singly or doubly refractive i.e. does it split a beam of light in two or not (garnet''s do not). Not really sure how to see if it''s a green amethyst, except looking with a loupe for any inclusions and comparing them to those that appear in either of the varieties.

 

[chrono]

I haven''t seen a garnet quite that colour.

Definitely not a tsavorite or demantoid.

 

[movie zombie]

don''t really think its a mali.......and i don''t think a mali comes as large as that looks....

i was thinking mali based on the words used to describe it....picture just doesn'' face up as a mali though.

movie zombie

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Looks like it could be a chrysoberyl from the pics. Hard to tell. Can you get it tested? My GIA appraiser charges $40 an hour and you can bring her as much as you like to test and she gives the verbal appraisal. I think a lot of appraisers do the same.

Lisa