ABOUT RUSSIAN DEMANTOID GARNET

"During the last major war, Russia stopped producing Demantoid Garnets for 30 years and gemologists apparently consider this to be more of the same. Russian (not Namibian) garnets have risen in price about 30% already maybe more by the time you read this. The mines are shut now due to the war in Ukraine. Miners have talent that Russia appears to be best in the battlefield. At the moment no gemstone is a better investment, not even diamond when you review the prices. Unlike diamond demantoid are TRULY rare not carefully released to appear rare. A Russian Demantoid of 1 carat is much rarer than diamond, and at over 3 carats they are (in fine quality, with few horsetail inclusions) they are very rare, 1 inclusion is ideal, it is the birthmark of the gem and of good color in deep green or slight yellowish green it is perfection. Russia's demantoid garnet has higher light dispersion (sparklier) than diamond and small stones in emerald green are the finest gems. Over 3 carats the green alone will diminish the dispersion of light to the gem making it unable to surpass diamond. In sizes over 3 carats it must have a slight amount of yellow, less then 10% is preferred. to put a diamond to shame." 

Richly green in hue, these beautiful members of the andradite family are considered the noblest among the garnets. They were first discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia in the mid 1800s, along the shores of the Bobrovka River. Today, these Russian demantoids are considered among the rarest treasures among gemstone collectors. Conjure in your mind a village scene along the river. As the story goes, a group of children discovered some mesmerizing green pebbles along the river's edge. Local mineralogists classified them as peridot. However, the fortunate visit a year later of Nils von Nordensheld, a Finnish mineralogist, declared them a brand new discovery {1}. According to Gems & Gemology, Mr. Nordensheld presented his findings to the St. Petersburg Mineralogical Society in 1864, describing them as a green andradite garnet. A second source for demantoid garnets was discovered southwest of the village of Poldnevaya along the rivers Chusovaya and Chrisolitka. These Russian beauties were extremely popular during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Admired as the most elite among gemstones, they were incorporated frequently into the delicate works of Russia's royal jeweler, Peter Carl Faberge. As so often happens, the onset of war put a kibosh on luxury goods, and the demantoid might have been lost were it not for the foresight of the great George Frederick Kunz. The Russian mines were nearly exhausted by 1905, and by 1917 the onset of the Revolutionary War in Russia put a near-end to demantoid production. Thankfully, Mr. Kunz, the premiere gemstone buyer for Tiffany's during the late 1800s, saved the demantoid from obscurity. On a trip financed by J. Pierpont Morgan, Mr. Kunz traveled to the Ural Mountains and bought up every bit of rough demantoid garnet available for purchase. Those precious green stones were faceted and subsequently found their way into many of Tiffany & Co.'s Art Nouveau and Art Deco pieces {2}.

Notes

1. Gems & Gemology, Volumes 32-33, 1996, p. 101.
2. Bell, C. Jeanenne. Answers to Questions About Old Jewelry. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2008, p. 148.