Tsavorite Garnet

Take good care…

Tsavorite Garnet is a relatively hard stone however if handled carelessly will show signs of damage – especially in open ring settings. With this in mind it is very important that rings setting the gemstone are removed during strenuous activities or when the stone could be prone to damage. You can clean your garnet with a few drops of washing up liquid in water.  Use a toothbrush to gently scrub behind the stone, removing the dust and debris that can build up.

Try to avoid…

Protect your  garnet jewellery by storing it carefully when it’s not being used, preferably in the original box it came in or in a soft, lint-free pouch – to avoid scratching and rubbing.  Always store your garnet away from harder gems, such as diamonds, to prevent unnecessary damage.

About your stone…

Tsavorite is a grass green garnet mined in Kenya, East Africa.  It was named by Tiffany’s after the Kenyan game reserve Tsavo National Park.  

Garnets come in a huge range of colours, not just the deep red we traditionally associate with the stone.  It had been thought you could get garnet in every colour except blue, but some greenish blue stones found in Africa challenged this long standing view.  The garnet is a group of six closely related minerals and garnets can contain a mixture of two or more of the minerals.  Some of the more popular blends have been given their own name such as the reddy pink rhodolite and the orange Malaya.  Garnets are usually found in round, oval and cushion cuts.

Pearls of wisdom…

Legend has it that garnets can light up in the deepest, darkest depths of evening time and protect wearers from things that go bump in the night.  Garnets are traditionally worn by travellers to protect them when away from home.

Garnet is the birthstone for January.