Umbalite Garnets And Mahenge Garnets

[pwsg07]

What is the different between umbalite garnets and Mahenge garnets? Since these garnets are new, I don't have much information. Their colour looks similar to me. I have never seen these two stones. Which one is more beautiful? Which one has higher RI? Which one has more fire? What types of garnets do they belong to? Thank you.

 

[chrono]

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/mahenge-garnets.223898/

Umbalite garnet are from the Umba region and are mostly rhodolite.
Mahenge garnet are from the Mahenge region and tend to look more like Malaya garnet (pyrope).

 

[chatoyancy]

I ordered a pair of umbalite garnets (type of rhodolite) from Jeffery Davies' website (not his ebay store) last week. I have not received them yet, but when I ordered them, there were a few mehenge garnets and umbalite garnets in stock. The mehenge were lighter, more pink and the umbalite garnets were more of a pink/purple mix. He had pictures and videos of all of them, so it should give you a good idea of the differences. Rhodolite garnets from different areas will look different from each other depending on their almandine/pyrope mix. For example, if rhodolite from one area had more almandine than pyrope they would look different from rhodolite with a higher pyrope content from another area.