Tsavorite

Tsavorite is a very modern gemstone, and it has two things in common with tanzanite: it too was found for the first time in East Africa in 1967, and was marketed by the Tiffany jewellery company of New York. Unlike tanzanite, tsavorite is a stunning green in colour, and is a member of the garnet family of gemstones, whereas tanzanite is blue and belongs to the zoisite family.

Why Tsavorite? The name is derived from the Tsavo National Park in Kenya, near the Tanzanian border, and the Tsavo River which flows through it. The gemstone was actually first found in Tanzania, but exploitation was not possible at that time. In 1971 it was found again, this time in Kenya, and mining could begin.

Tsavorite is prized by gemologists for its brilliant green colour, and its lack of inclusions. It has a similar hardness to emerald, being about 7.5 on the Mohs scale, and greater brilliance. It is a lot less expensive than emerald, but this is due largely to the greater rarity of emerald, and the lore of it's long history. Indeed, tsavorite is a brilliant natural-green gemstone which has no need of enhancement as is the case with many other gemstones.

Tsavorite's robustness makes it particularly hard-wearing when set in jewellery, and along with demantoid it is one of the most sought-after members of the garnet family. Sapphires and rubies may be harder then tsavorite according to the Mohs scale, but tsavorite, like all garnets, is extremely resistant to cracking, and in terms of a lack of inclusions is one of the most stable of gemstones. Like all garnets, it has a very high refractive index, and its sparkle surpasses the majority of gemstones, with the obvious exception of diamonds.

Unlike its geographical neighbour tanzanite, which often yields crystals in excess of five carats, tsavorite crystals tend to be smaller, and hence any tsavorite above two carats is likely to command a premium price. But whereas tanzanite is prized more for its colour than its brilliance, tsavorite has both beautiful colour and exceptional brilliance, and therefore is more desirable in the smaller sizes yielded by the rough tsavorite crystals.

Taking into consideration all of tsavorite's qualities, such as its beautiful green colour, exceptional brilliance, excellent wearing qualities and relatively reasonable price, it is little wonder that it has become one of the most popular gemstones available today.