#16 J117-001 Demantoid Garnet 7mm Round 1.51cts IASX
One of the rarest types of garnet, demantoid garnet is gemological name used for green andradite garnets. First discovered in 1868 in Russia, green demantoids were given there name because of their diamond-like brilliance and fire. The high refractive index and dispersion of andradite does give these garnets a remarkably diamond-like appearance. The green color comes from trace amounts of chromium. In the 1990’s demantoid garnets were discovered in Namibia. While the greens from Namibia aren’t as intense as the Russian stones, the gems tend to be cleaner, so the brilliance and fire shows very strongly. Most demantoids tend to be small, so larger stones over one carat are uncommon.
This gem is a Russin stone with the classic "horsetail" inclusions that are only visible under magnification and proves that the stone is from the fabled Russian deposit in the Ural mountains.