Garnets
Seven garnets, from the red of iron to the green of chromium and vanadium. Some garnets even change color with the light, like alexandrite.
Each gem in four tones: the hue it is named by, its light part, its deepest part and the sparkle where light bounces off the facets. The colors are our own approximations, not laboratory standards.
Pyrope
Red garnet
A red garnet. With almandine, it ranges from purple to orangy red.
Red garnet is one of the most common and widespread gems, found in metamorphic rocks on every continent. According to CIBJO, it is never treated.
Pyrope · hue
The main hue, the color the gem is named by.
Material: Pyrope, faceted, hue
RGB(158, 27, 50)
Pyrope · light
The light part, where the stone is thinnest or light passes straight through.
Material: Pyrope, faceted, light
RGB(194, 57, 79)
Pyrope · deep
The deepest part, in the facets in shadow.
Material: Pyrope, faceted, deep
RGB(94, 10, 26)
Pyrope · sparkle
The sparkle, where light bounces off the facets back to the eye.
Material: Pyrope, faceted, sparkle
RGB(224, 104, 122)
Almandine
Garnet colored by iron
A deep red garnet: iron (Fe2+) colors it.
The same iron that makes peridot green makes almandine red: what changes is the arrangement of atoms around it. According to CIBJO, it is never treated.
Almandine · hue
The main hue, the color the gem is named by.
Material: Almandine, faceted, hue
RGB(126, 26, 44)
Almandine · light
The light part, where the stone is thinnest or light passes straight through.
Material: Almandine, faceted, light
RGB(162, 58, 76)
Almandine · deep
The deepest part, in the facets in shadow.
Material: Almandine, faceted, deep
RGB(74, 10, 22)
Almandine · sparkle
The sparkle, where light bounces off the facets back to the eye.
Material: Almandine, faceted, sparkle
RGB(200, 106, 120)
Rhodolite
Pyrope-almandine garnet
The purplish red variety of pyrope-almandine garnet.
According to CIBJO, it is never treated.
Rhodolite · hue
The main hue, the color the gem is named by.
Material: Rhodolite, faceted, hue
RGB(160, 58, 106)
Rhodolite · light
The light part, where the stone is thinnest or light passes straight through.
Material: Rhodolite, faceted, light
RGB(196, 106, 146)
Rhodolite · deep
The deepest part, in the facets in shadow.
Material: Rhodolite, faceted, deep
RGB(106, 30, 70)
Rhodolite · sparkle
The sparkle, where light bounces off the facets back to the eye.
Material: Rhodolite, faceted, sparkle
RGB(222, 154, 184)
Spessartine
Manganese garnet
The orange garnet, found in a range of orange colors.
It is also called spessartite. According to CIBJO, it is never treated.
Spessartine · hue
The main hue, the color the gem is named by.
Material: Spessartine, faceted, hue
RGB(232, 118, 42)
Spessartine · light
The light part, where the stone is thinnest or light passes straight through.
Material: Spessartine, faceted, light
RGB(242, 154, 88)
Spessartine · deep
The deepest part, in the facets in shadow.
Material: Spessartine, faceted, deep
RGB(184, 80, 26)
Spessartine · sparkle
The sparkle, where light bounces off the facets back to the eye.
Material: Spessartine, faceted, sparkle
RGB(248, 190, 140)
Tsavorite
Green grossular
A green grossular: for CIBJO, its green is due to vanadium and/or chromium.
Grossular has perhaps the widest color range of any garnet: from colorless through yellow and reddish orange to a strong, vibrant green. According to CIBJO, it is never treated.
Tsavorite · hue
The main hue, the color the gem is named by.
Material: Tsavorite, faceted, hue
RGB(46, 158, 82)
Tsavorite · light
The light part, where the stone is thinnest or light passes straight through.
Material: Tsavorite, faceted, light
RGB(92, 194, 122)
Tsavorite · deep
The deepest part, in the facets in shadow.
Material: Tsavorite, faceted, deep
RGB(22, 112, 58)
Tsavorite · sparkle
The sparkle, where light bounces off the facets back to the eye.
Material: Tsavorite, faceted, sparkle
RGB(156, 224, 176)
Hessonite
Orange grossular
Another grossular, from orange and orangy red to brownish red.
According to CIBJO, it is never treated.
Hessonite · hue
The main hue, the color the gem is named by.
Material: Hessonite, faceted, hue
RGB(200, 102, 30)
Hessonite · light
The light part, where the stone is thinnest or light passes straight through.
Material: Hessonite, faceted, light
RGB(224, 140, 74)
Hessonite · deep
The deepest part, in the facets in shadow.
Material: Hessonite, faceted, deep
RGB(142, 66, 16)
Hessonite · sparkle
The sparkle, where light bounces off the facets back to the eye.
Material: Hessonite, faceted, sparkle
RGB(240, 180, 122)
Demantoid
Andradite colored by chromium
A rare and famous green garnet: an andradite colored by chromium (Cr3+).
It may show eye-visible inclusions called horsetails, which can raise its value. According to CIBJO, it is commonly heated.
Demantoid · hue
The main hue, the color the gem is named by.
Material: Demantoid, faceted, hue
RGB(78, 154, 42)
Demantoid · light
The light part, where the stone is thinnest or light passes straight through.
Material: Demantoid, faceted, light
RGB(124, 190, 82)
Demantoid · deep
The deepest part, in the facets in shadow.
Material: Demantoid, faceted, deep
RGB(46, 106, 20)
Demantoid · sparkle
The sparkle, where light bounces off the facets back to the eye.
Material: Demantoid, faceted, sparkle
RGB(176, 220, 138)
Pigmentoria is an independent color atlas. Gem, variety, place and trade names (for example «pigeon's blood» or «Paraíba») are used descriptively only and do not indicate the origin, quality, treatment or certification of any stone. The colors are our own digital approximations, not official standards of any laboratory. GIA, CIBJO, LMHC, SSEF, Gübelin and the other organisations cited belong to their owners; Pigmentoria is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.