Tsavorite

All about garnet

Garnet is one of the most used stones in jewelry. But can you distinguish it? Here’s what you need to know about the garnet, stone of the month of January, which actually brings together many different types ♦

It’s easy to say garnet. Actually this stone is classified in different ways and confused with other with the same color. It’s an old habit: in the past the only criteria to describe a stone was, in a generic way, the color. So all the red gems were recognized as rubies, from the Latin meaning of rubeus: red, in fact. No wonder, then, that for 700 years the central stone of the crown of England, 170 carats, has been called “the Black Prince’s Ruby,” despite being a magnificent spinel, which is not a garnet stone but it’s looks like. Even some varieties of garnet in the past have been mistakenly categorized as rubies. The matter is further complicated, however, because not only it has many colors such as purple, brown, orange, yellow and green, but it is often sold under the trade name and not the scientific one. So, nature abounds colored gemstones and yet it was not always easy to catalog them. How to distinguish and choose them? Here you have a little guide.

Pendente in oro giallo, con granati mandarino, diamanti e smalto
Yellow gold pendant, with mandarin garnets, diamonds and enamel

Rhodolite

It is a variety of garnet. From the geological point of view, the stone is made 55% of pyrope and 37% of the almandine. The garnet differs from ruby not only for its composition, but also how it behaves under the light: from a natural ruby emerge a double rainbow with various shades of red and blue, while the rhodolite is even more brilliant and alive, and will show only a rainbow with green and yellow. Caution: rhodolite can be synthesized in the laboratory, but it is one of the few stones to never be treated artificially. Its name derives from the greek rhodo (pink) and lithos (stone) and was coined by George Frederick Kunz for its resemblance to the flower color of the rhododendron mountain.

Color: compared to the other red garnets is slightly lighter and that’s why is confused with ruby, but has some hues of purple and purpura. No coincidence that the most popular colors are red-purple and raspberry discovery in 1987, the hue of the fruit.

Sources : was discovered in North Carolina, but the major deposits are in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, where in the Kangala region was identified the Raspberry variety and in the one pale purple in Umba valley, Zimbabwe and Brazil. From the Orissa Indian region and only from there comes the grape garnet with the same colour of a good amethyst.

Anello con rodolite e zaffiri blu
Ring with rhodolite and blue sapphires

Almandine garnet

The presence of metals such as manganese and calcium gives the garnet many colors, but when the component is predominant almandine, appearance is dark red, sometimes brownish. And this is the best known variety, with the name of the Mozambique garnet, named by the East African country of origin. Cited in Greek mythology, praised in the Jewish and Muslim tradition and used by the Vikings for the funeral ornaments, is rather hard and with a high refractive index. Sometimes is called Oriental Garnet.

Sources: Mozambique, India and Brazil.

Naomi Sarna, anello con granato almandino intagliato
Naomi Sarna, carved almandine garnet ring

Spessartite

The name comes from Spessart, Bavarian village where it was discovered the mid-nineteenth century. Initially little used in jewelry because it is very rare, after the discovery of another field in Namibia, its spread has grown tremendously, because it is the variety of garnet that has the highest refractive index after diamond. Feature that makes it one of the most versatile gems.

Colour: from manganese derives its characteristic orange primary color while the presence of iron gives the red shades and turns it to orange red, golden orange, orange yellow or dark red. The Mandarin Garnet is the most valuable variety of Spessartine, discovered in Kunene, Namibia.

Vhernier, spessartite al centro del collier Orange Velvet
Vhernier, Spessartite in the center of the Orange Velvet necklace

Sources: if the Spessart mine is now exhausted, Namibia continues to be the reference point along with Nigeria, while other deposits are in Australia, Brazil, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Zambia.

Tsavorite

It is the trade name of Garnet Grossularia Green, coined in 1974 by British geologist Campbell R. Bridges and Henry B. Platt, two consultants of Tiffany, in honor of the Tsavo National Park in Kenya, the place of discovery.

Selim Mouzannar, orecchini con tsavoriti, avorio, smalto, diamanti
Selim Mouzannar, earrings with tsavorite garnets, ivory, enamel, diamonds

Colour: owes its color to the presence of vanadium and chromium in small part, the same elements that give the emerald its colors. If a larger amount of vanadium accentuates the green Tsavorite, a yellowish tinge instead indicates the presence of iron. The green runs from vivid and clear to deep and velvety and, like all garnets, has a beautiful sheen, thanks to the high refractive index. Compared to emerald but has fewer inclusions and can also be flawless to the naked eye.

Sources: more rare emerald it has two major mining sites, the Scorpion mine near the Tsavo National Park in Kenya and the Merelani hills in Arusha region in Tanziana. And a small field in the province of Tulear in Madagascar.

Demantoid Garnet

A variety of Andradite Garnet, discovered in the Urals in 1849, has an exceptional brightness and its name was borrowed from German Demant because as diamond-like sparkle. Passion jeweler Carl Faberge, who just could it inserted in its creation and contributed to his legendary reputation, was coveted by many even by the head of Tiffany gemologist, George Frederick Kunz, who went to Russia with the aim to buy all specimens on the market. The Soviet revolution it blocked the mire and marketing, but many years later, in 1991, thanks to the filming of the activities mineriarie in the Urals and the discovery of other deposits in Namibia, came to the fore.

Una varietà verde della andradite, minerale che è uno delle più preziose varietà del granato Demantoide
A green variety of andradite, a mineral which is one of the most precious types of Demantoid garnet

Colour: depending on the amount of chromium and iron, varies from deep green to yellowish green to yellow or olive green. In practice, the greater the presence of iron is more yellow the stone. And although green forest is the reference tone, in the case of the Demantoid what really counts is the fire, that the variety and intensity of the play of colors when it reflects the light.

Sources: the Urals come specimens of intense green color with a peculiarity, the inclusions ponytail, that make them special, while the stones of Namibia are clearer and without inclusions.

Valuation: garnet is a type II gem, which may contain a few minor inclusions visible to the naked eye, which are tolerable if they compromise the beauty of the stone. However, there are examples impeccable in darker shades, whatever the color and smaller.

Anello con granato mandarino e zaffiri rosa
Ring with mandarin garnet and pink sapphires
Bracciale in oro bianco, diamanti e granato
Bracelet in white gold, diamonds and garnet
Pendente Demeter con granato mandarino e diamanti
Demeter pendant with mandarin garnet and diamonds
Anello in oro giallo con granato mandarino e smalto nero
Yellow gold ring with mandarin garnet and black enamel
Anello con tsavorite al centro, opale di fuoco, ametista, apatite, zaffiro
Ring with tsavorite in the center, fire opal, amethyst, apatite, sapphire
Anello con spessartite abochon di 32 carati, diamanti, zaffiri rosa, topazio imperiale, acquamarina, labradorite, andalusite
Ring with 32-carat cabochon famartite, diamonds, pink sapphires, imperial topaz, aquamarine, labradorite, andalusite

Everything about tsavorite

The tsavorite is already more 50 years old: it was discovered in 1967. The story of the tsavorite is very adventurous, and it also includes a murder ♦ ︎

History. In 1967, in Tanzania, Scottish geologist Campbell R. Bridges was walking in the countryside when a buffalo attack him. To save life Campbell jumped into a well where he noticed a bright green rock. He was not able to pull a sample, as he was busy tu save himself. But the curiosity prompted him to do research and seven years later he discovered a gem similar to emeralds: the tsavorite. Mines in Tanzania, however, were nationalized in the 1970s, and Campbell Bridges moved his research to Kenya. In an wild area he again found a tsavorite reservoir.

Orecchini in oro 18 carati, diamanti, tsavoriti
Neha Dani, 18k gold, diamond, tsavorite earrings

Convinced that it was a precious stone, he built a house on top of a tree to defend himself from the fierce animals and enlisted a python to watch the first gems he had found. Later in his estate he also put leopards instead watchdogs. But he did not help avoid his death: in 2009, at the age of 71, Campbell was killed in an ambush by some twenty bandits who wanted to exploit his mining concession. Today, the extration of the tsavorite is entrusted to his son, Bruce Bridges, but goes on a lot of difficulty.

Campbell Bridges e la casa sull'albero che è stata la sua prima base
Campbell Bridges and the treehouse that was his first base

Features. The tsavorite is named after the Tzavo National Game Park on the border between Kenya and Tanzania where it was discovered for the first time and where the only known mines are located. It is a green stone, from a gemmological point of view it is a variety of garnet, particularly grossularia. The merit of spreading tsavorite is Tiffany, who in the 1970s began to make it known: Campbell Bridge was a consultant geologist at the American Maison. It was precisely Henry Platt, chairman of Tiffany, to propose the name of tsavorite to the still unknown stone.

Una spilla di Tiffany in oro bianco con tsavorite, diamanti e perle
A white gold Tiffany brooch with tsavorite, diamonds and pearls

Color. The stone goes from pale green to a very intense green, very bright in all shades. Like all the other garnets, the tsavorite has a high refractive index of light. Unlike other stones, it does not undergo treatments to make it brighter, not heated and not even immersed in oil. Its hardness is similar to that of emerald, but it is more resistant to shocks. Compared with emeralds it is also easier to cut and less susceptible to accidental damage. It is particularly useful for the so-called invisible embedding. Usually the stones are small, it is rare to find rough stones larger than 5 carats. Its price is rising steadily.

Anello in platino con tsavorite e diamanti
Platinum ring with tsavorite and diamonds
Hemmerle, anello in alluminio con tsavorite
Hemmerle, aluminum ring with tsavorite
Selim Mouzannar, orecchini con tsavoriti, avorio, smalto, diamanti
Selim Mouzannar, earrings with tsavorites, ivory, enamel, diamonds
Anello in oro rosa, argento annerito, tsavorite, zaffiri gialli, diamanti
Arteau, ring in rose gold, blackened silver, tsavorite, yellow sapphires, diamonds
Valerio, anello con rubini e tsavorite
Shaill Jhaveri, Valerio, ring with rubies and tsavorite
Bracciale Butterfly in oro nero, opali, tsavoriti, diamanti neri, bianchi e champagne
Wendy Yue, Butterfly bracelet in black gold, opals, tsavorites, black, white and champagne diamonds
Michele della Valle, collana con smeraldi e tsavoriti a forma di edera
Michele della Valle, necklace with emeralds and ivy-shaped tsavorites
Lydia Courteille, anello in oro rodiato, diamanti gialli, zaffiri, tsavoriti e onice
Lydia Courteille, ring in rhodium-plated gold, yellow diamonds, sapphires, tsavorites and onyx

The palette of Campbellian

Fabulous stones, strong colors, magical combinations: here are the jewels of Bella Campbellian, specialist in unusual combinations ♦

Do you like earrings and rings with very colored gemstones? In this case the Campbellian Collection it’s for you. The brand was founded by an expert in physics, no less. But also passionate about dogs, who lives with her husband and son in New Jersey, USA. Her name is Bella Campbell and is the creative mind and founder of Campbellian. In addition to a Masters in Physics at the Georgia State University, she is an expert in marketing as well as gems, and began her career as Associate Buyer for The Fine Jewelry Department at Macy’s, New York.

Orecchini con pietra luna rainbow, zaffiri rosa, diamanti
Rainbow Moonstone and Pink Sapphire Earrings with Diamond Accent

It is easy to deduce the type of jewelry she offers: especially earrings and rings that shine thanks to the compositions of stones as Paraiba tourmaline, spinel, rubellite, tsavorite, tanzanite, moon stone, but also opal and zircon. Often these stones are chosen for their unusual color: as in the case of the stone blue moon or green garnets. There is also stones not very known as the grossular, this a stone that takes on different colors too. So, if the compositions of the jewels from a geometrical point of view are quite traditional, the one that stands out right away is, however, the coloring resulting from the combination of stones, often mounted on platinum. If you like the jewels that are immediately noticeable, then look at these pictures.

Anello con pietra luna arcobaleno e diamanti
ARainbow moonstone and diamond ring
Anello in oro bianco, rubellite, rubini, diamanti
Ring in white gold, rubellite, rubies, diamonds
Anello in platino e oro bianco con tormalina Paraiba e grossular
Ring in platinum and white gold with Paraiba tourmaline and grossular
Ciondolo in oro con diamanti, spinello rosa e viola, tormalina magenta
Gold pendant with diamonds, pink and purple spinel, magenta tourmaline
Orecchini in oro bianco, tormalina verde menta, granati champagne e verdi, tormalina neon, diamanti
Earrings in white gold, mint green tourmaline, champagne and green garnets, neon tourmaline, diamonds
Orecchini con pietra luna arcobaleno e zaffiro rosa, diamanti
Earrings with rainbow moonstone and pink sapphire, diamonds
Orecchini con rubini, diamanti, opale
Earrings with rubies, diamonds, opal
Orecchini in oro rosa con zirconi blu e diamanti
Rose gold earrings with blue zircons and diamonds

The big race of Ana de Costa




The unique pieces by Ana de Costa, able to realize small sundials platinum precious stones, a timeturner, and many amazing jewelry ♦

Young designers grow: in London the brilliant Ana de Costa in few years has designed and built a series of jewelery that stand out for their excellent workmanship and inspiration. Like many others, Ana de Costa has attended St. Martins in London, a real launching pad. He then worked for the London-based jeweler Shaun Leane and then for Alexander McQueen and Erickson Beamon. In 2006, she herself says, she has been invited to present his graduation collection at Childwickbury Art Fair, an event run by Christiane Kubrick, the wife of the late director Stanley Kubrick. But the real in style debut took place in 2007, with the launch of the Tarot, its first jewelery collection.

Pendente in platino e diamanti
Pendente in platino e diamanti

In 2008 Ana teamed up with Swarovski and also the coveted Young Designer of the Year at the UK Jewellery Awards. One of the shots of Ana de Costa, in addition to the elaborate gold design, is the choice of stones, such as tanzanite. In 2011 Ana thus collaborated with the mining company Gemfields to create an extraordinary unique piece: a pair of emerald earrings 20ct, hand crafted in 18ct yellow gold with natural diamonds cognac. These important earrings, along with a bracelet and ring of the Spiritual Henna collection were worn to the Academy Awards in 2013 by the wife of composer Paul Epworth. After this debut on the red carpet, Ana de Costa is no longer a surprise to anyone. Just take a look at the pictures that we publish to understand why.

Orecchini a bottone in oro rosa e diamanti cognac
Orecchini a bottone in oro rosa e diamanti cognac
Orecchini in oro 18 carati, perle di Tahiti e tsavoriti
Orecchini in oro 18 carati, perle di Tahiti e tsavoriti
Orecchini in oro 18 carati e zaffiri
Orecchini in oro 18 carati e zaffiri
Anello in oro 18 carati e tsavoriti
Anello in oro 18 carati e tsavoriti
Spilla Rolls Royce Moon, in oro e zaffiri blu
Spilla Rolls Royce Moon, in oro e zaffiri blu

Orecchini Sun a bottone in oro 18 carati
Orecchini Sun a bottone in oro 18 carati

Ciondolo in oro bianco Giratempo (come in Harry Potter). Oro bianco con diamanti bianchi e una fiala di vetro
Ciondolo in oro bianco Giratempo (come in Harry Potter). Oro bianco con diamanti bianchi e una fiala di vetro







The Dionea Orcini’s mysteries

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The precious mysteries of Dionea Orcini, from Bologna to Miami and Jaipur ♦

Do you like mysteries, the charm of the gothic, ghosts, spirits, the zodiac signs? Do you do yoga, try a shudder to think of the wisdom of ancient writings, ayurvedic mysteries, etc.? If you are not a fan of all these topos that fascinate so many others, you can still appreciate the Dionea Orcini jewelry. They are dedicated to that mysterious world for some, imaginative for others. “The collections of Dionea Orcini reveal the mysteries of a world shrouded in secrets”, it is its very definition.

Anello in oro bianco 18 carati con tsavoriti e topazio blu London
Anello in oro bianco 18 carati con tsavoriti e topazio blu London

Between magic and magic potions for the unknown, in any case, the jewels of the designers have been worn by a long line of celebrities. Dionea Orcini currriculum is very varied. She has a degree in Fashion Design, she studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, then continued with internships and Costumes at the University of Arts in Prague, to conclude the Architecture Interior studies of UCLA in Los Angeles. He learned the art of jewelry at MJS School in Miami, under the supervision of Marc Thurn, German master jeweler. He studied gemology at the GIA in New York and also Vedic gemology in Jaipur, India. With this background, it is not surprising that his collections are dedicated to Semiramide, like to Middle Ages, but also to the Marquis de Sade. Although the latter, in fact, he had a way of living a little ‘further away from the peaks of Eastern philosophy.

Anello in oro bianco 18 carati e pavé di rubini
Anello in oro bianco 18 carati e pavé di rubini
Anello in oro giallo 18 carati con simbolo Fleur de Lys, zaffiri blu e lapislazzuli
Anello in oro giallo 18 carati con simbolo Fleur de Lys, zaffiri blu e lapislazzuli
Collana regolabile in filo di seta con citrino e pavé di arabeschi i -oro bianco 18 carati, diamanti
Collana regolabile in filo di seta con citrino e pavé di arabeschi i -oro bianco 18 carati, diamanti
Doppio anello in oro rosa 18 carati con diamanti bianchi, grigi e neri
Doppio anello in oro rosa 18 carati con diamanti bianchi, grigi e neri
Orecchini in oro bianco 18 carati con diamanti bianchi, agata rossa e onice nero
Orecchini in oro bianco 18 carati con diamanti bianchi, agata rossa e onice nero

Collana con perle barocche di Tahiti nere con cordino di seta, oro bianco 18 carati, rubini
Collana con perle barocche di Tahiti nere con cordino di seta, oro bianco 18 carati, rubini







New Secret Gardens of Pasquale Bruni

New flowers in the Pasquale Bruni Secret Gardens, showed in VicenzaOro. Haute Couture, simpler or retro taste: many different versions in addition to the models shown in Milan for the launch of the collection inspired by the green spaces hidden in the courtyards of the historic residences in Milan (https://gioiellis.com/i-giardini-segreti-di-pasquale-bruni). Double rings with the flowers of four petals by diamond champagne and rose gold, or colorless stones on white gold in the haute couture line which in combination clearer also form a valuable finery. There is a gold necklace flex (a job for which the metal crafted it stores the twist to wear it easily) with six flowers, so the light is assured but the lightness as well. The bracelet is designed contrarié shape, where the opposite is a single leaf, elongated in gold flex, and in two dimensions. And there is also a version without diamonds: the entry level is around 3000 euros. In the pictures you can also see a colored version of the white parure worn by the model at the fair, very stunning. The design is the same, but instead of diamonds are embedded green agate and tsavorites, as cut stones of Mandala necklace. Also in the Haute Couture line here is a new color ring named Mille e una, in this case aquamarine which resting on the bed of a thousand diamonds, gives a mirror effect. The processing of cobblestones is a Maison secret. It is run by combining traditional methods to more with new studies in stone setting. What we see instead is a cabochon, with the back with facets, erratically reminiscent of the flower of the BonTon collection, while the shape of Leaf is by Secret Gardens. Finally, many different combinations with rings and jewelry fully paved or smooth with elongated leaves, drilling worked and rose cut diamonds to give at every woman the opportunity to create your own garden.

Giardini Segreti, anelli doppi Haute Couture in oro bianco e diamanti incolori e in oro rosa diamanti colorati
Giardini Segreti, anelli doppi Haute Couture in oro bianco e diamanti incolori e in oro rosa diamanti colorati. Foto di Carolina Nobile
Giardini Segreti Haute Couture, anello doppio in oro rosa e diamanti champagne
Giardini Segreti Haute Couture, anello doppio in oro rosa e diamanti champagne
Giardini Segreti Haute Couture, anello doppio con fiori a quattro petali della parure in oro bianco e diamanti incolori
Giardini Segreti Haute Couture, anello doppio con fiori a quattro petali della parure in oro bianco e diamanti incolori
Giardini Segreti Haute Couture, collana con sei fiori a quattro petali della parure in oro bianco flex e diamanti incolori
Giardini Segreti Haute Couture, collana con sei fiori a quattro petali della parure in oro bianco flex e diamanti incolori

In the next page other unpublished images of the collection Secret Gardens of Pasquale Bruni