Gem: Hessonite Garnet
Weight: 1.66 ct.
Dimensions: 7.15 mm
Clarity: SI2
Origin: Eden Mills VAG Quarry, Eden / Lowell, Vermont
Treatments: None
Comments:
This is something you don't see every day. I had never come across them before, and I don't expect I will again. I happened to come across a large collection of Vermont garnet specimens being sold, and part of the lot was a small selection of faceted gemstones! The lot was a collection of a man who had recently passed away, who had been an employee of the mine back when they were operational (up through the mid 1990's).
The provenance was solid, and there were MANY examples of interesting material that was clearly from a lifetime of being carefully collected and looked after. The gems in the lot were particularly interesting to me, so I made an offer for a few examples. I managed to buy 4. One of them sold instantly, another is in my personal gem collection, and I have 2 that I am listing for sale on the website.
Much or most of the specimens, though amazing as crystals, are fairly included with sugar type inclusions, and healed fissures. Some silk and fibrous inclusions on occasion as well. So it was a real treat to be able to buy a few gems with very good clarity. There still ARE the various inclusions, which help to corroborate provenance, but they are pretty low-key, and are factored into the price.
This gem is 7.15 mm, which is WELL into solitaire territory. It would also be sufficiently showy to be the main stone in a pendant.
The color is a rich, vibrant orange, with just the faintest hint of pink. There is a healed fissure in the crown, which does disrupt the pattern and brilliance a bit, but even so, the performance is admirable. The color lends itself quite a bit to masking the inclusions.