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Demantoid Garnet – A highly esteemed garnet with adamantine lustre and amazing ‘horsetail’ inclusion

Updated: May 18, 2020

Hardness 6.5-7

Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3

硬度: 6.5-7

化学成分:Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3


Most people would go for a gemstone that has the least flaws or at least an eye-clean piece. But there are a handful of gemstones where the inclusion is its main characteristic that is sought after by gem connoisseur. Demantoid is one of them, where the price, is tagged with it’s unique ‘horsetail’ inclusion.


大多数人会选择瑕疵最少或至少肉眼不可见内含物的宝石。 但是也有少数宝石,其内含物是宝石鉴赏家所追求的主要特征。 翠榴石便是其中之一,在价格上标有独特的“马尾”内含物。


The first rough was found in 1853 by the children from Elizavetinslzoye settlement at the central Ural Mountains in Russia. The local jewellers name it as ‘chrysolite’ (known as peridot) it was also called as "Bobrovsk emerald", “Uralian emerald’ and “Siberian chrysolite” by others.


In 1864, a Finnish mineralogist Nils Von Nordenskiöld identified this gem as a variety of andradite garnet, coloured by a small chromium content. With its high RI and exceptional brilliance and dispersion “fire”, that Nordenskiöld named it demantoid, (diamond-like) or (green-diamond).


1853年,俄罗斯中部乌拉尔山脉的Elizavetinslzoye定居点的孩子们发现了第一块原石。 当地珠宝商将其命名为“蓝晶石”(俗称橄榄石),其他人也称其为“博布罗夫斯克祖母绿”,“乌拉尔祖母绿”和“西伯利亚绿晶石”。


1864年,芬兰矿物学家Nils VonNordenskiöld将这种宝石鉴定为钙铁榴的一种,小量的铬含量给与其颜色。凭借其较高的RI和出色的光彩和看起来像火光的分散性,被命名为demantoid(似钻石)或(绿色钻石)。


As its scintillation is far better than a diamond, demantoid garnet sets many gem lovers in awe. One could see it’s dazzling lights for lighter shade stone, where else dark body colours could mask their dispersion. Probably that’s why Demantoid became popular in Czar’s court jewellers from 1875-1920. Demantoid was even a favourite of the famous Russian star jeweller, Peter Carl Fabergé. He adored its tremendous brilliance and loved to incorporate it into his objet d’art. The Russian preferred the yellowish-green than emerald green, where the intense/emerald green are exported to Europe.


由于其光泽闪烁效果远胜于钻石,因此,翠榴石使许多宝石爱好者敬畏不已。 在浅色宝石上,人们会看到令人眼花缭乱的反射光,而在深色的宝石上可能会因为深色而掩盖了它们的折射光。 这也许就是为什么翠榴石从1875年至1920年在沙皇的宫廷珠宝商中流行的原因。 翠榴石不仅在沙皇宫廷中流行,它甚至是俄罗斯著名明星珠宝商Peter CarlFabergé的最爱。 他崇尚它的优秀的光彩,并喜欢将其纳入他的艺术品收藏。 俄罗斯人更喜欢黄绿色,而不是翡翠绿,他们会把深绿色或翡翠绿的宝石出口到欧洲。


Demantoid mine from the Ural possesses a unique 'horsetail inclusions'. These golden-brown fibres of chrysotile (a type of asbestos), appear to radiate out from a very small crystal of chromite from the centre of the stone and are usually highly prized by gems collectors. It is found mainly in small sizes, with most stones under 1 carat. Gems over 2 carats are considered extremely rare, and market prices reflect that. Among the rare garnets, fine Demantoid is substantially more valuable than tsavorite or spessartite.


乌拉尔的翠榴石矿床拥有独特的“马尾内含物”。 这些温石棉(一种石棉)的金棕色纤维似乎从石头中心的很小的铬铁矿晶体中散发出来,通常受到宝石收藏家的青睐。 翠榴石一般的尺寸都很小,大多数豆不到1克拉。 超过2克拉的宝石被认为极为罕见,这点可以在市场价格上看出来。 在稀有的石榴石中,翠榴石比沙弗莱石或锂锰榴石更有价值。


With the Bolshevilz Revolution in 1917, the gems went out of vogue in Russia along with other symbols of wealth and royalty. That lead to a deviation of gem mining to mineral mining in order to support the growing industrial demand, causing a scarcity of Demantoid.


Fortunately, since the 1990s with the discoveries in Namibia, Madagascar, and other locations, as well as renewed mining in Russia, we can possess the amazing gem, but only Demantoid with a ‘horsetail inclusion’ are coveted.


随着1917年的布尔什维克十月革命(Bolshevilz Revolution)的时过境迁,这些宝石连同其他象征财富和皇室权利的符号在俄罗斯过时。 这导致宝石开采转向了矿物开采,以支持不断在增长的工业需求,从而导致了翠榴石的短缺。


幸运的是,自1990年代以来,我们在纳米比亚,马达加斯加和其他地区的发现,以及在俄罗斯重新开采的矿床,我们才得以拥有这颗神奇的宝石,但只有具有“马尾内含物”的翠榴石才最令人垂涎。



Source: GIA, AJS, Gemsociety, Richard Hughes

资料来源:GIA,AJS,Gemsociety,Richard HughesWith the Bolshevilz

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