International Gemstones: in full array of rainbow colors:

 

When I was younger, my mother checked out a book from our local library called King Solomon’s Mines, by H. Rider Haggard. This incredible book tells the story of a group that travels to Africa to find a missing person. While there the group eventually is led to the legendary mines of the biblical King Solomon. The mine is full of ivories, diamonds and gold, and the explorers are fascinated by the accumulated riches. Because they uncovered this remarkable treasure, they return to England and live in comfort the rest of their lives. This fabled treasure of King Solomon has captured the fascination and imagination of people for centuries.

 

A lot like the people in the story were fascinated by the gemstones found in the cave, gemstones continue to fascinate people. Being fascinated by the variety of gemstones available, two of them have been foremost in my mind; Garnets and Sapphires. Mainly because I was unaware that these precious gems come in a full array of colors!

 

Garnets are fascinating because the only color it does not come in is blue. Red is the most well known color of the garnets, and that is why it’s probably considered the traditional color. Despite the fame of the well-known red many other beautiful colors exist, and it is these other shades that intrigue me.  Another fascinating fact is that some garnets change colors depending upon the light, such as Alexandrite.

 

The majority of the world’s garnets come from Africa, a land of wonder, and and people with unique cultures, and riches well known to mankind.  Countries such as Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique, present us with a variety of the world’s garnets.

Tsavorite, for example, comes from Tsavo, Kenya, and Tanzania. Tsavorite is as valuable, and rare as emerald because it only comes from these two countries in the world.

 This garnet is a gorgeous green color. Campbell Bridges the discoverer of tsavorite said “Tsavorite is a very beautiful green which can range from a fresh spring-green to a rich bluish-green and even a deep forest-green. Of all the valuable green gemstones, Tsavorite is the truest green.” www.bridgescollection.com/tsavorite

Tsavorite is used as an emerald substitute, because of the variety of green’s it comes in.


Spessartite Garnet is an amazing orange, to reddish brown “intensely radiant” colored garnet. It offers a different perspective, and works well in fancy shapes. This gemstones history has been one of a shadowy existence to being in the spotlight, and then to being vary rare. Thankfully though, deposits of this gorgeous colored gemstone were found in Namibia.

 

 





Sapphires. When that word comes to mind, automatically we picture a deep, brightly shining blue stone. According to Gemstone.org, blue is the favorite color of some 50% of people, men and women alike.

While this deep blue is the traditional color, sapphires come in all colors of the rainbow and can even be colorless. Think on it, all blue shades, to green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, gray, black and even brown. Kashmir Blue is the most valuable of all the sapphire colors, while the Cornflower Blue, comes in a close second. A red sapphire is considered a ruby. While those other colors are considered fancy sapphires.


 Unlike Tsavorite, sapphires come from all around the world; making them available and more well known.