Pricing of Garnets in 2025: What Determines Their Value?
Garnets are an incredibly diverse group of minerals, and their prices vary widely depending on variety, color, clarity, and carat weight. Many garnets are actually mixtures of different species—for example, almandine often contains traces of pyrope or rhodolite, which affects their properties and value.
Red Garnets: Almandine, Pyrope, Rhodolite, Umbalite
• Almandine is the most affordable garnet, typically dark with a muted tone. Prices start at $10 per carat.
• Rhodolite is more valuable, especially when it has a vivid, saturated hue. Darker rhodolites are closer in price to almandine. Bright, high-quality rhodolites range from $100 to $500 per carat, with exceptionally striking stones reaching the upper limit.
• Umbalite is valued higher than rhodolite, particularly in the sought-after deep pinkish-purple “potassium permanganate” shade. Prices range from $500 to $1,000 per carat, though the upper limit is sometimes inflated.
• Pyrope can range from dark to pure, vibrant red. A well-cut, high-saturation red pyrope can exceed $500 per carat, particularly if it is large and displays an open color.
Orange and Yellow Garnets: Spessartine, Hessonite
• Hessonite (a type of grossular garnet) usually has a brownish-orange hue, making it less expensive. Prices average $50–$200 per carat, depending on saturation and clarity.
• Spessartine is one of the most valuable orange garnets. The two most prized colors:
• “Fanta” – a pure, vibrant orange.
• “Mandarin” – a hotter, reddish-orange shade.
High-quality, eye-clean “Fanta” spessartines over 3 carats can exceed $1,000 per carat. However, spessartine often contains inclusions, which lower its price. Stones with brownish or reddish overtones can be found for $100–$200 per carat.
Rare and Multicolored Garnets: Malaya, Tsavorite
• Malaya Garnet (a pyrope-spessartine hybrid) is among the most difficult garnets to value. It ranges from soft pink to purple. The more unique and saturated the color, the higher the price—reaching $500 per carat or more. Paler stones under 1 carat start around $80 per carat.
• Tsavorite Garnet (green grossular) is one of the most expensive garnets. Dark, nearly blackish tsavorites are less valuable, starting at $150 per carat. Rich, vibrant green stones can command $5,000 per carat or more, especially in sizes above 4 carats, as larger examples are extremely rare. Lighter, neon-green tsavorites are also highly valued, with prices reaching several thousand dollars per carat.
Conclusion
Garnets are primarily valued based on color, followed by clarity and carat weight. Red and orange garnets (rhodolite, spessartine, pyrope) are prized for their brilliance and intensity, while green tsavorites are sought after for their saturation and large sizes. Malaya garnets attract collectors due to their unusual color variations and transitions. With their broad spectrum of colors and price points, garnets remain one of the most versatile and fascinating gemstones on the market.
Olga Bachurina,
Co-Founder of Venus in Libra,
Certified by GIA & Gübelin Academy
