Demantoid garnet is a transparent green variety of andradite garnet. Demantoid garnets are arguably the most valuable of all the garnet varieties. This is because the demantoid garnet features an excellent dispersion and lustre. The brilliance that the demantoid garnet exhibits exceeds that of a diamond. This is how the variety was named, for its ‘diamond like lustre.’
Demantoid garnets were discovered in the 19th century in the Ural Mountains of Russia. It is chromium that causes the brilliant green colour that ranges from yellowish green to bluish green. Demantoid garnets are known for their attractive golden ‘horsetail’ inclusions, however not all stones exhibit this. Deposits of demantoid garnet have been found in China, Korea, Russia, the USA and Namibia.
