SPESSARTITE GARNET

The birthstone of January comes in an amazing variety of colors, including Spessartite Garnet which is reminiscent of our legendary Arizona sunsets. When this garnet was first discovered in East Africa, it was summarily dismissed by the gem buyers of the time. It wasn't until the 1970's when the American and German dealers began to notice the gem, that it was discovered to be an entirely new species of garnet. Spessartite mining has been spotty, at best, over the years. Lack of consumer awareness has made this garnet more of a connoisseur's gem, but once you see the intense fiery orange it will capture your heart. Spessartite is one of the few gems to be truly orange.

A Connoisseur's Gem

Not brown with strong pink or goldenrod with heavy yellow tones, but a true pure orange gem that likens itself to Orange Crush soda. The finest of these orange Spessartite Garnets are called Mandarin Garnets, which refers to the color and also their origin. Mandarin Garnet is found in Namibia, which is the clear leader when it comes to producing these fabulous gems blessed with no trace of iron to subdue their brilliant orange color. Other mining locales of Spessartite include California, Brazil and, the newest source, Nigeria; but no country has succeeded in reproducing the color found in Namibia.

Often mines are worked for as few as one and a half years before abandoning them. The geography of the African countries makes mining very difficult and expensive. Imagine yourself so far away from civilization that it takes you two weeks to get to town for supplies, and that's only if it doesn't rain.

This is not the case of the Little Three Mine and Hercules Mine in San Diego, CA. though. The Little Three Mine was opened in 1903 and worked until 1912, while the Hercules claim was surfaced mined for only one season in 1997. The quality of production and high cost of permits stopped the development of the mine.

Spessartite Garnet has become a favorite of ours at Coffin and Trout. Not many gems can give you as much brilliance and intensity as this beauty. It comes in varying shades of orange and is always a showstopper. For something unique and dazzling, stop in and experience the Spessartite Garnet.