Hydrogrossular Bi-color Garnet (a.k.a Bi-Color Watermelon Garnet) 8.9 ct. Super Rare
Probably the rarest gem in our collection.
Authentic bi-color hydrogrossular garnet.
The following is from the Professional Jewelers Archives:
"After a half-century hiatus, an interesting variety of hydrogrossular garnet mixed with idocrase is on the market again. The best examples are translucent and exhibit variations of vivid pink, red and green.
The mixed gem was last found in the 1940s in South Africa’s Transvaal region. Because of its similarity to fine jade, it was called Transvaal jade.
A few textbooks – including Gems, Their Sources, Descriptions and Identification by Robert Webster (Butterworth & Co. Publishers Ltd., 1983) – describe this variety of garnet gemologically. But the gem was never widely available in good qualities, which kept it from becoming a mainstream product.
One gem cutter in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, saw the gem’s potential in the 1940s and managed to stash several tons of rough. The heap sat in his inventory – and later his son’s inventory – until now (2000)."
This rare material was reportedly hidden from the Nazi's in the 1940's in Idar-Oberstein, Germany. There is currently (5/13/2018) none except ours we could find available for sale that we know is authentic. A few Asian dealers are using the "tag," watermelon garnet but are actually selling a dyed quartz or tourmaline. Also some rhodolite rough was tagged "watermelon garnet," and that does not add up.
According to author Michael O'Donoghue, green hydrogrossular garnet cause by chromium, measures 8 on the MOHS scale; Much rarer pink and orange colored by manganese measure 7 on MOHS scale.
We offer this 8.9 carat elongated pear cabochon for sale. The gem is almost priceless when you think of the rarity. But, conceding that everything has a price we are asking for what it would take for us to let it leave our collection.
If we can't get 100.00 a carat we would rather keep it.
