garnet – Gem Junkies

Green & Hairy Grossular Garnet Gooseberry

This week on Gem Junkies

“Grossular Garnet”

Known to the jewelry market as Tsavorite or Mint Garnet

One of many siblings in the Garnet family- Grossular is famous for its green variety

This is a parcel of Mint Garnet as found in Tanzania. This photo was taken by Brecken while her and Jonathan were visiting the mines where we receive gemstones from as featured in our collection, “Sharing the Rough”

A look down one of the mine shafts in Tanzania. Finding Grossular Garnet is often an indicator of Tanzanite, which “Tanzania” is well-known for. Another photo courtesy of J&B’s trip to Africa.

Since the color is reliant on the amount of trace minerals found, the color of each individual gem can fall somewhere on a spectrum of yellowish-to dark green-to a blueish green. This graphic is courtesy of http://www.navneetgems.com/tsavorite-color-chart-navneet-gems/

Featured next to each other for comparison is one of our “Mint” and “Tsavorite” varieties (also pictured is our “purple” garnet). Our Mint takes on the lighter shade with more of a blueish hue, whereas our Tsavorite contains a very rich green.

Two pieces from our line “Sharing the Rough” in their finished form, where the color difference is even more prevalent. You can find these pieces in our collection at https://www.parlegems.com/collection.php?id=3&collection=Sharing+the+Rough

Cinnamon Garnet- otherwise known as “Hessanite” Image is courtesy of https://www.orissagems.com/hessonite_rough.htm

That’s all for this week. But if you want more content, and access to some never before seen content, then join our Facebook Group “Gem Junkies” and stay connected with us!

April 12April 12

Our Partnership with the Devon Foundation

The measure of someone’s goodness is their willingness to give back. We, at Parle believe companies have a corporate responsibility to improve the lives of the people it affects. We found our cause right at the heart of our company and have partnered with the Devon Foundation in hopes of educating and improving the lives of those closest to the source.

The Devon Foundation is responsible for developing talent in our field by providing gem-cutting scholarships to men and women in East Africa enabling them to earn a living in the gem trade. The gemstones in our collection “Sharing The Rough” are directly sourced from this area in Africa. We are inspired by the positive impact that Nancy Schuring and the Devon Foundation are fostering within these communities.

Not only does the Devon Foundation help sponsor educational scholarships, but it provides the most important school supply on the market- school lunch! The Foundation is now solely responsible for the Kitarini school lunch program which feeds over 500 young Maasai boys and girls, providing 10,000 meals a month. Not only has this increased school enrollment, but it has improved the educational advancement of each of these children.

For us, this is remarkable. We feel as if we are able to positively influence a society of children and workers a world away just by doing what we love. This program and our new collection are interwoven, sharing a platform to speak on behalf of the beauty and strength of both people and gemstone. While we know not all students will grow up to be gemologists, miners, or stone-cutters, we believe it is important to not only improve the lives of the hands our stones touch, but even the shoulders they brush past. This is why we appreciate the reach of the Devon Foundation in its efforts to give back to the field, and to the community where our gemstones are unsurfaced.

Our Parle promise is to donate a percentage of proceeds from our Sharing The Rough jewelry collection, and we ask that our retailers do the same. We know we work with great jewelers that are like-minded in giving back, and hope that with their donations and ours, we can continue to improve the lives of others.

Go their website directly by clicking the link http://devonfoundation.com/

March 26November 2

A Mandarin in the Sun

Likened to the color of the sky while the sun is grazing across the horizon on the plains of Africa, the Mandarin Garnet embodies the color range from a subtle bright orange-yellow, to an almost rust-like, dark orange color. Upon its rediscovery in the Serengeti of Tanzania, our Mandarin Garnet, also known by the species name, Spessartine Garnet, has become a designer favorite due to its striking orange color.

Spessartine garnets carry Manganese- one of the rarest elements found naturally on Earth- and is the defining factor in this stone’s striking orange color. The lack of pleochroism in this stone becomes a favorable asset for it, as it displays the same rush of color from every direction, and can hold many faceted shapes favorably. Mandarin garnet is naturally beautiful, and does not go through any treatments.

Our Sharing The Rough Collection is a way for us to share with you elements of the Earth in all it’s beauty. Each gemstone personifies, not only the story of the rough that it came from, but the story of all aspects of mother nature that sculpted it into existence. The colors are vivid, the stones are rare, and every gem is responsible for weaving stories together.

So, whether you prefer to catch the sunrise or the sunset- the ombré of red, orange, and yellow that cascades across the sky embody the color spectrum of this stunning gemstone. These colors can evoke a sense of jubilant warmth, and symbolizes what is at the heart of nature- the sun.

March 20March 22

Mint of the Merelani

Nestled up in the foothills of Africa’s largest Mountain, Kilimanjaro, is the world’s most famous green Grossular mine. Merelani Hills, Tanzania, is home to some of the most rejuvenating green Garnets; green Garnets that can match up to the reputation of voluminous Emeralds and Tsavorites, reign from deep within a Tanzanite mine. All by accident the Mint Garnet was discovered and has been captivating gemstone enthusiasts and jewelry designers ever since. With only a limited supply from a small part of western Africa, Mint Garnet has not only enchanted everyone with its beauty, but also its rarity.

This gem might draw you in due to the pastel green that differentiates it from its Tsavorite counterpart, but this gem has another secret. The cool bluish-green fluoresces into a pinkish-orange under UV light thanks to the rare and valued mineral chromium that is present in this family of garnets.

Like the shadow that a lush mountain casts as the sun rises over it on a bright spring the morning, Mint Garnet’s color reflects that of calmness. The gentle green offers a renewing sensation, like that of a new day or the start of a new spring. If you close your eyes you can almost get the impression of a cool drop of mint water at the back of your throat or the feeling of morning dew on lush grass.

We value how close to nature this piece feels and want to preserve the aspects of it’s beauty that strike you from its most raw form. The luster it gives off is preserved with meticulous stone cutting techniques. We offer both tumbled and faceted styles that both captivate the brilliance and uniqueness of each piece that is unearthed. Nothing this valuable is underappreciated by our designers, and we make sure to take care that every gemstone is given the platform it needs to share its story.

February 1October 26

Sharing The Rough

Our company is named Parle because we believe that each and every gem has a story to tell. The gemstones combine minerals, heat, water, and pressure to mold themselves into unique and intricate treasures. Each has their very own distinct properties that are displayed in their color, patterns, and sometimes shape. Although the beauty from the unearthed gem speaks for itself, there is another story that is equally remarkable and important. For every piece of finished jewelry that makes it to the floor of a retail location there are multiple hands involved in the unearthing, cutting, designing, and crafting process. This is the story we want to tell.

To the miners that dive deep into the folds of the earth, or that sift through riverbeds in the hot sun, to the gem cutters who unveil the most precious colors and forms possible with every gem, to the jewelry designers who carry the vision for how to best accentuate the beloved features, to the people who package it all together, this is their story, too. A gemstone can transcend global and cultural boundaries, and create unlikely bonds between communities that are worlds apart.

The power these gemstones hold to weave all of these remarkable stories is where we found the inspiration for this collection. We want to bring you something that encapsulates the passion and beauty of every part of the journey. So, we bring you, “Sharing The Rough” and hope you will become part of their story.

One of our Mint Garnets in the hands of the Director of the film, Orin Mazzoni III.

Polishing facets of a Tanzanian Rhodolite Garnet.

August 24January 28

Discover Lotus Garnet

So you want to know more about Lotus Garnets? Yeah, we get it, they’re getting a lot of attention lately…

Unearthed in the Mahenge region of north Tanzania, lotus garnet was only recently discovered in late 2015. Found in alluvial mines, the amount of rough is unknown and each production is small and has a variation in color with every pocket produced.

The unique pinkish orange to orangey pink color of lotus garnet (see below) makes it an exceptional substitute to padparascha sapphire, morganite and imperial topaz. Lotus garnet is a member of three garnet families, pyrope, spessartine and almandine and is usually found in conjunction with rhodolite garnet and spinel.

3 Lotus Garnet stones — Lotus Garnet gemstones color range sample

Lotus Garnet are best viewed in sunlight and have a slight red fluorescence which can give the appearance of color change.

This exciting new find is exclusively sold by Parlé Jewelry Designs and is available as loose gemstones or finished jewelry.