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| Color |
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Consistent purple red |
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| Gem Family |
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Grape Garnet is a unique
pyrope-almandine member of the garnet family. |
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| Source |
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This rare purple-red
garnet is mined only in the State of Orissa on the
Bay of Bengal in eastern India. Mining of the alluvial
deposit is done by hand using small tools like picks
and shovels. |
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| Clarity |
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All Grape Garnets are
free of eye-visible inclusions. |
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| Size Range |
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0.3 carat to 3.0 carats.
Large sizes are very rare. |
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| Shapes Available |
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Ovals, cushions, checkerboards,
round brilliants, trillions, princess cuts, and
opposed bars. |
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| Enhancement |
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The rich purple of rare
Grape Garnet is the exact color of the rough removed
from the mine. It is not enhanced in any way. |
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| Lore & History |
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Garnets in legend light
up the night and protect their owners from nightmares.
This gem was carried by ancient travelers to protect
against accidents far from home. Garnet is the birthstone
for January. The name Grape Garnet was derived from
its intense purple-red color: it will remind you
of the ruddy grape glow of a fine merlot wine. It
was actually named at the breakfast table: Columbia
Gem House's president Eric Braunwart was pouring
his daughter Alixandra's favorite juice when he
noticed a striking color resemblance to the new
garnet he was trying to name. |
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| Toughness &
Hardness |
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Grape Garnet has a hardness
of 7.25 on the Mohs scale and it is quite tough. |
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| Care & Cleaning |
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Garnet is very durable
but try to avoid direct impact to the gemstone.
Clean with warm water, detergent, and a soft brush.
Grape Garnet can be put in ultrasonic or steam cleaners. |
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| Price Range |
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$30 to $90 per carat.
The rare large sizes, when available, may be as
much as $200 per carat. |
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| Special Characteristics |
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Grape Garnet has an unusually
high refractive index of 1.79 or higher. This gives
these gems exceptional brilliance. Only a very small
portion of garnet mined in India meets the stringent
criteria of rare Grape Garnet. These gems must be
a consistent purple-red color, extremely well cut,
and free of eye visible inclusions so the amazing
brilliance of the gem can shine through. |
