Show your Hessonite!

[ChrisA222]

I think most people on here loved the Spessartite thread...I just got two Hessonites, so I thought I'd start a new thread. Most Hessonites I've seen are sleepy and have inclusions...these two do not! I'd love to see some others Hessonites! Both of these are from Sri Lanka and have a really nice Cinnamon/Hot Lava tone..nice and bright!

 

[VapidLapid]

 

[ChrisA222]

Vapid...that stone looks like it is on fire! Wow...What are the specs?

 

[VapidLapid]

6.9 x 5.65 2.26 carat Tanzania
Much more orange in real life

 

[Pandora II]

One of mine...

 

[FallenRox]

One of mine...

Jawdropping!

 

[Pandora II]

I love hessonites - they're much under-rated IMO. They glow like little coals.

 

[ChrisA222]

There is some debate as to whether or not this is an "imperial Hessonite" but..that is what the seller sold it to me as!

 

[Pandora II]

Hessonite is hessonite - I've never heard of 'Imperial Hessonite', but it's a great way of selling the paler stones for sure!

 

[ChrisA222]

I know it...well, that particular stone has been called three different names..its been called "Imperial Hessonite" and "Golden Tsavorite" both by the seller who uses that name interchangably, because the stone is found in the same location as the green Tsavorite...then, I had an 'expert' call it a "golden Grossular" garnet, and also added it is extremely rare to find clean, and over a few cts..and this one is a big one at over 5 cts. So I know its a rare stone, and, I know that it has an identity crisis because it doesn't really have a "name". haha. Or, it has too many names. I guess the "golden tsavorite" name was given by GemsTv, or one of the Tv networks, when the small patch of these gold garnets were found. I have some small ones too...they are pretty nice. But the seller of this particular one was the first to call it an "imperial hessonite". You can go on Ebay and do a search for "Imperial Hessonite" and you will find some..but I dont think theya re these stones from the Tsavo area of Kenya.

 

[Barrett]

I find the term "cinnamon" to aptly describe hessonite. It reminds me of cinnamon.

 

[Pandora II]

I know it...well, that particular stone has been called three different names..its been called "Imperial Hessonite" and "Golden Tsavorite" both by the seller who uses that name interchangably, because the stone is found in the same location as the green Tsavorite...then, I had an 'expert' call it a "golden Grossular" garnet, and also added it is extremely rare to find clean, and over a few cts..and this one is a big one at over 5 cts. So I know its a rare stone, and, I know that it has an identity crisis because it doesn't really have a "name". haha. Or, it has too many names. I guess the "golden tsavorite" name was given by GemsTv, or one of the Tv networks, when the small patch of these gold garnets were found. I have some small ones too...they are pretty nice. But the seller of this particular one was the first to call it an "imperial hessonite". You can go on Ebay and do a search for "Imperial Hessonite" and you will find some..but I dont think theya re these stones from the Tsavo area of Kenya.

Interesting.

I saw a lot of Hessonites of this colour in Sri Lanka last year - I bought a small one just because it looked interesting, but don't have any photographs. The prices were cheaper than for the darker colours.

5cts is big, especially for a clean stone, it's very pretty.

Planetary Gems have some on their pages - http://www.planetarygems.com/hessonitepage.htm

 

[minousbijoux]

Chris:

I like your big 5 carater. I would call that a grossular, but what do I know? I guess it sounds glamorous if you call it an imperial hessonite.

Pardon this threadjack:

Pandora: Thanks for the link to planetary gems - somehow, they've fallen off my radar as a vendor. Have you or someone else you know bought from them and been happy with their stones? Do you know if their photos/descriptions are accurate? The prices on the sapphires, for unheated stones, seem reasonable, so if they are decent, perhaps I should give them a whirl?

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Cut by Uli of osirisgems I have completely forgotten all specs on it... I'm a horrible gem-dad LOL

 

[chrono]

I don't have anything to contribute because most hess' I've seen are an unattrative brown but the few shown here are quite pretty and interesting.

Chrissa,
The term Tsavorite is limitied to a darker toned green gossular garnet so it makes no sense to call it a "golden" tsavorite. I would personally call it a golden gossular garnet as that would be the most accurate name. Lots of minty green garnets are also mined at the same location as where tsavorites are but they are not called tsavorites. They are called green gossular garnets or mint garnets. Imperial hessonite? Never heard of that one before.

 

[Pandora II]

Chris:

I like your big 5 carater. I would call that a grossular, but what do I know? I guess it sounds glamorous if you call it an imperial hessonite.

Pardon this threadjack:

Pandora: Thanks for the link to planetary gems - somehow, they've fallen off my radar as a vendor. Have you or someone else you know bought from them and been happy with their stones? Do you know if their photos/descriptions are accurate? The prices on the sapphires, for unheated stones, seem reasonable, so if they are decent, perhaps I should give them a whirl?

I haven't bought from them myself - IIRC a few people on PS have and AFAIR they were happy with their purchases. They do have some interesting stones and their prices do indeed seem reasonable.

ETA: Imperial Hessonite was apparently trademarked by JTV - make of that what you will! Garnets are a bugger to pigeonhole a lot of the time - I tend to go by RI and the inclusions... water into whisky look gets a Hess grading from me whatever tone of cinnamon the stone is.

The Sri Lankans love Hessonite and practically every man you meet has a ring with one in for auspicious reasons. Some of them were incredible sizes and looked amazing in high carat gold. I coveted quite a few!

 

[Barrett]

Nice stone, Davi!!!

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Nice stone, Davi!!!

Thanks! This thread has revived my love for this stone. Until recently it was tucked away in a case that hardly got pulled out. Not today, it had another little photoshoot. I may even pop it into a temporary setting now

 

[davi_el_mejor]

VL I absolutely LOVE your stone. This is what I picture when people say hessonite!

 

[Pandora II]

Davi, that's a fabulous hess!

 

[ChrisA222]

I agree with whoever said its an underrated stone...some of them look bright and orange like a mandarin Spessartite...but, I love those "glowy" ones too. Mine are very, very clean and brilliant but not "glowy". I think I need to find a "glowy" one to add to my collection!

As far as my 5+ct Golden Grossular or whatever you want to call it...last I checked, this stone has a sister stone available, I've seen it in hand, and it is mostly clean but one corner has some veil-inclusions (I bought that one, and traded up for this one). The sister stone is 3.88cts and was for sale for around $129 if I recall correctly by a vendor on Ebay. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll tell you how to find the stone. It has the same cool cushion-cut that mine is..mine was quite a bit more expensive due to the clarity and ct weight, but this is a rare gem to find at all. Whether it is a hessonite or not

 

[minousbijoux]

Chris:

I'm not at all convinced its a rare gem. Perhaps in terms of the 5 carat size, but grossulars are frequently found, so please be careful not to characterize it as "rare." Mahenge is rare. Namibian Spessartite is rare (these days). Paraiba tourmaline is rare. Grossular garnet is not.

 

[NKOTB]

Here are my two from Tan.

 

[VapidLapid]

I forgot I have another one.. from thegemtrader, 1.8 carat sri lanka.