Description
Description
The world’s finest Rhodolite Garnet is found in various deposits in East Africa, most notably in the Umba River Valley in Tanzania. From the coveted “spirit” colors through to the exquisite raspberry colors, we hunt out the best and brightest
Rhodolite Garnet is the finest of the red garnets. It is actually a mix of two varieties of red garnet – Almandite and Pyrope which combine to produce a gorgeous purple-red hue which is highly coveted. Its name is derived from Greek “Rhodon” meaning “Colored like a Rose” and indeed the sparkling purple and pinkish reds of the finest pieces fully deserve the comparison.
East African Rhodolite ranks among the best in the world. It is mined in Tanzania in Kangala and in the Umba River Valley, which is world-renowned for the quality of the gems produced there. As most of the production is alluvial in Umba, Rhodolites can literally be picked out of the river. In Kangala, mining is in the open-cast style. It is a barren region – a landscape pockmarked with mine holes fringed by tall, swaying grass and often lined with fruit bats.
This lovely red purple garnet is also mined in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and a redder variety is found in the USA. The best color however, is acknowledged to come from Tanzania.
Rhodolite is the birthstone for January and it is believed in myth to have magical properties assuring the wearer of love and faithfulness.
- Sapphire
Description
Sapphire is corundum, the same type of mineral as ruby, except that it is not red. Sapphire is famous for its blue color, but it also comes in many other colors, such as orange and pink. They are called fancy sapphires. There are also color change sapphires which change color under different lighting. Some sapphires even show a phenomenon called asterism. A star appears on the face of the stone.
Colours
Sapphire is often thought of as a blue gem, but it comes in all colors except red. Red would be a ruby.
History
England’s Prince William gave Kate Middleton a blue sapphire engagement ring. It belonged to his mother, the very famous and beloved Princess Diana.