Russian Demantoids
The laboratory recently photographed an outstanding collection of Demantoid garnets from Russia’s famed Ural Mountains, known for producing some of the gem’s finest colors. Though new production is minimal, stones from this historic source still appear on the market through second-hand channels.
We had the pleasure to do a photographic study on a fine collection of Demantoid garnets from the classic deposit in the Ural Mountains of Russia. This deposit has long been lauded for some of the finest colors of demantoid ever produced. Although the yield from this famed locale has slowed to a trickle, these stones still trade and come to market through numerous second-hand sources.
Inclusions are part of the process for accurately identifying geographic origin of gemstones. Positive origin identification can greatly enhance the value of a gem. Famed locations command a premium and trusted laboratory certificates are the best means of assuring that a gemstone is indeed from the purported mine.
These fabulous specimens all show the telltale horsetail inclusion indicative of this garnet variety. The below photomicrographs are magnified 45X, 10X and 15X respectively. They also illustrate the different forms this inclusion can take. It is particularly exceptional to see curvilinear material crystalized inside a host crystal and that's what makes us so excited about these exceptional specimens!
More detailed study of these stones can be found in the PGSL Gemstones 200 course book.