Mandarin garnet is a type of spessartite garnet gemstone known for its gorgeously rich orange color, reflecting its namesake: the mandarin orange.
Is mandarin garnet real? Yep, mandarin garnet is a natural gemstone — its color is all natural too, making it pretty sought-after.
Are mandarin garnets rare? Mandarin garnets are relatively rare, but the highest-quality specimens are quite rare. Orange is a rare color in garnet anyway, especially orange-red hues.
Ready to learn more about this phenomenal gem described as a “ball of fire” by some? Come along as we fill you in on all of mandarin garnet’s properties, prices, history, benefits, and more!
Mandarin garnet is a semi-precious gemstone with vibrant orange coloring. It may be called “Fanta garnet” or "Namibian spessartite.”
As a garnet, this stone is a January birthstone, astrological talisman for Capricorn and Aquarius signs, and traditional 2nd wedding anniversary gem.
Plus, mandarin garnet jewelry has good wearability, making it the perfect gift for any of these celebrations.
Though synthetic mandarin garnet doesn’t currently exist, there are some simulants like orange glass, orange yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), and orange synthetic garnet.
Mandarin garnet is part of the spessartite garnet species, which is within the broader pyralspite series with pyrope and almandine.
Spessartites are manganese aluminum silicates, and their formula may be written as Mn3Al2Si3O12 or Mn3Al2(SiO4)3. The formula for mandarin garnets may also be written as Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3.
From analysis done by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) on Namibian mandarin garnets, their specimen ranges were:
84 to 86 percent spessartite
12 to 15 percent pyrope
1 to 1.5 percent grossular
0 to 1.5 percent almandine
A smaller amount of material analyzed by GIA prior to the analysis referenced above averaged at 85 percent spessartite, 12.5 percent pyrope, and 2.5 percent grossular. Since pyrope and grossular are colorless when pure, this explained the more pure orange color, as manganese was the only coloring element in the stones.
Value-wise, mandarin garnet is the most valuable spessartite variety with the highest spessartite content. Other varieties include kashmirine and Malaya (or Malaia) garnets, which is a pyrope-spessartite mixture.
Here are mandarin garnet’s mineral properties listed:
Mohs hardness: 7-7.5
Color: Orange, red-orange, yellow-orange, brownish-orange
Crystal structure: Isometric/cubic
Luster: Vitreous (glassy), resinous, or sub-adamantine
Transparency: Transparent to translucent
Refractive index: 1.789-1.797
Density: 4.09-4.15
Cleavage: None
Fracture: Conchoidal
Streak: White
Luminescence: None
Pleochroism: None
Birefringence: None
Dispersion: 0.027 (moderate)
Moving away from mineralogy, what does the mandarin garnet stone mean?
Mandarin garnet symbolizes success, harmony, and creativity. It also represents the persistent ebbs and flows of life’s changes, bringing transformative energies.
Garnets overall symbolize passion, understanding, and loyalty, along with the power of bravery and positivity.
Spessartite garnets were discovered in 1797 but didn’t see much popularity (beyond collectors) until mandarin garnets came along almost 200 years later.
The first mandarin garnets were found in Namibia in 1992. Colgem Ltd. of Ramat Gan, Israel, debuted the gems at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in Arizona, USA, in 1993.
Chief Sales Manager of Colgem Ltd., Israel Z. Eliezri, said the first trade name for the Namibian spessartites was “Hollandine.” Another early trade name was “Kunene spessartine.” Both were soon replaced with “mandarin garnet.”
Unfortunately, the two Namibian deposits were depleted by 1998.
Luckily, additional deposits of mandarin garnets have popped up since!
The first additional deposit was Nigeria in 1998, where orange garnets with a spessartite content of around 95 percent started being produced.
In 2007, Tanzania started producing orange spessartite that also had a similar composition to Namibian mandarin garnets at 77.5 percent spessartite, 17.9 percent pyrope, and 4.6 percent grossular.
We should note that the name “mandarin garnet” doesn’t have an official definition besides being an orange spessartite, usually bright orange. Originally, the term only applied to bright orange spessartite garnets from Namibia. But since other locales have popped up, some have used “mandarin garnet” to describe any orange spessartites, regardless of source.
Shifting back to the metaphysical side, what are the healing properties of mandarin garnet?
As an orange healing stone, mandarin garnet’s healing powers reflect those of other orange gemstones, boosting creativity, vitality, and confidence.
Physically, mandarin garnet benefits are said to include treating:
Migraines
Inflammation
Arthritis
Reproductive health
Digestion issues
Dementia
Emotionally, mandarin garnet is believed to help you:
Make wiser decisions, especially in leadership roles
Boost your self-confidence
Get comfortable being vulnerable
Release feelings of anger, envy, or bitterness
Deal with stressful life transitions
Chakra healing is a form of energy healing that involves opening or balancing specific energy centers (chakras) along the body to resolve negative symptoms associated with a “blockage” of that energy center.
Mandarin garnets are great chakra stones for the sacral chakra. The sacral chakra is located just below the navel. This is where your physical self (established in the root chakra) starts interacting emotionally with the world to establish your identity.
A blocked sacral chakra can lead to imbalanced emotional attachments, either through avoidance or codependency. Other signs of blockage include overindulgence, shame, or volatile tempers.
Once the chakra is balanced again, you’ll be able to respect your feelings without being controlled by them. Plus, your emotions can flow freely without shame, allowing you to explore your desires.
Outside of healing, are mandarin garnets valuable? Definitely, but the exact value depends on their quality.
Mandarin garnet value mostly depends on color and carat weight, but cut and clarity also play a role. Part of mandarin garnet’s desirability is its lack of gemstone treatments.
The best mandarin garnet color is pure, rich orange with high saturation and even coloring throughout. The presence of iron (sometimes from andradite) lends brown tones, which decrease value.
The best mandarin garnets are faceted, with virtually any shape possible. A great cut maximizes the crystal’s bright color, brilliance, and dispersion — often an oval cut with brilliant or step facets.
Lower-quality material may be cut into cabochons. Mandarin garnet can also be carved.
Spessartite is a Type II colored gemstone, meaning some visible inclusions are expected. Oranger spessartites like mandarin garnets from Namibia tend to be more included.
Possible inclusions in mandarin garnets include:
Clear quartz grains
Colorless tirodite fibers
Black ilmenite, hematite, and senaite in anhedral shapes or tiny spots
Barite
Round and angular crystals
The fewer visible inclusions, the higher the value.
Faceted mandarin garnets over 5 carats are rare and over 10 carats are extremely rare. One exceptionally large mandarin garnet is a faceted 39.35-carat gem displayed at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Smaller mandarin garnet gems can be fairly inexpensive, but even a 1-carat mandarin garnet may be significantly pricier than a 0.5-carat option.
Spessartites, like other garnets, usually form inside aluminum-rich sedimentary rocks undergoing metamorphism. The process often happens at convergent tectonic plates and involves heat and pressure changing the composition of minerals inside, creating new minerals like garnet.
Mandarin garnet is found in schist or gneiss rocks, like the magnesium-rich gneisses in Namibia.
Currently, the only known sources of mandarin garnet are Namibia (though the mine is currently closed), Tanzania, and Nigeria.
Some spessartites from Madagascar and California, USA, have a similarly pure orange color, though.
How much is a mandarin garnet stone worth? Mandarin garnet prices range from as little as $2.50 per carat to as high as $1,200 per carat.
High-quality, faceted mandarin garnets (eye-clean, pure orange color) are usually around $300 per carat. Overall, faceted mandarin garnets generally range from $200 to $1,200 per carat.
Exceptional, huge (10+ carats) faceted mandarin garnet price per carat can be $850 to nearly $2,800 per carat.
Mandarin garnet cabochons start around $4 and can reach over $6,000 when huge (35+ carats). Most are around $5 to $20.
If these are out of your price range, more affordable orange garnets to consider are hessonite (typically darker or browner) and Malaya garnets (more pinkish and varied).
Luckily, gemstone care for mandarin garnet is easy. You may want protective settings on a mandarin garnet ring, but you should be fine without them for mandarin garnet earrings or pendants.
You can clean mandarin garnets with mild soap, warm water, and a soft toothbrush.
Keep it away from steamers, acids, or heat. Store separately from other gems.
You don’t have to speak Mandarin to appreciate the beauty and charm of mandarin garnets. With bright sparkle, positivity, and a stunningly natural orange hue, what’s not to love?
橘色石榴石是一種錳鋁石榴石寶石,以其華麗濃郁的橙色而聞名,反映了它的名字:橘子。
橘子石榴石是真的嗎?是的,橘子石榴石是一種天然寶石——它的顏色也很自然,因此非常受歡迎。
橘子石榴石稀有嗎?橘色柘榴石相對稀有,但品質最高的標本非常罕見。無論如何,橙色在石榴石中是一種罕見的顏色,尤其是橙紅色調。
準備好進一步了解這種被某些人稱為“火球”的非凡寶石了嗎?快來聽我們為您介紹橘子柘榴石的所有特性、價格、歷史、優勢等!
橘色石榴石是一種具有鮮豔橙色的半寶石。它可能被稱為“芬達石榴石”或“納米比亞錳鋁榴石”。
作為石榴石,此石是一月生日石、 摩羯座和 水瓶座星座的護身符,以及傳統的結婚 2 週年紀念寶石。
此外,橘色石榴石首飾具有良好的耐磨性,使其成為任何這些慶祝活動的完美禮物。
雖然目前不存在合成橘色石榴石,但有一些類似物,如橙色玻璃、橙色釔鋁石榴石 (YAG) 和橙色合成石榴石。
橘色石榴石是錳鋁榴石種類的一部分,屬於範圍更廣的黃銅礦系列以及鎂鋁榴石和鐵鋁榴石。
錳鋁榴石是錳鋁矽酸鹽,分子式可寫作Mn3Al2Si3O12或Mn3Al2(SiO4)3。橘色石榴石的分子式也可以寫成 Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3。
根據美國寶石學院 (GIA) 對納米比亞橘子石榴石所做的分析,它們的標本範圍為:
84% 至 86% 的錳鋁榴石
12% 至 15% 鎂鋁榴石
1% 到 1.5% 的毛孔洞
0 至 1.5% 的鐵鋁榴石
在上述分析之前由 GIA 分析的少量材料平均含有 85% 的錳鋁榴石、12.5% 的鎂鋁榴石和 2.5% 的鈣鋁榴石。由於鎂鋁榴石和鈣鋁榴石在純淨時是無色的,這解釋了更純的橙色,因為錳是寶石中唯一的著色元素。
從價值上看,橘色石榴石是錳鋁石含量最高、價值最高的錳鋁石品種。其他品種包括克什米爾石榴石和馬來亞(或馬來亞)石榴石,它們是鎂鋁榴石和錳鋁榴石的混合物。
以下列出了橘子石榴石的礦物特性:
莫氏硬度:7-7.5
顏色: 橙色、紅橙色、黃橙色、棕橙色
晶體結構: 等距/立方
光澤: 玻璃狀(玻璃狀)、樹脂狀或亞金剛石
透明度: 透明到半透明
折射率:1.789-1.797
密度:4.09-4.15
乳溝:無
斷口: 貝殼狀
條紋:白色
發光: 無
多色性:無
雙折射:無
色散:0.027(中等)
撇開礦物學不談,橘子石榴石是什麼意思?
橘色石榴石像徵著成功、和諧和創造力。它還代表著生活變化的持續潮起潮落,帶來變革性的能量。
石榴石總體上象徵著熱情、理解和忠誠,以及勇敢和積極的力量。
錳鋁榴石於 1797 年被發現,但直到近 200 年後橘紅色石榴石出現時才受到人們的歡迎(除了收藏家之外)。
1992 年在納米比亞發現了第一顆橘子石榴石。以色列拉馬特甘的 Colgem Ltd. 於 1993 年在美國亞利桑那州的圖森寶石和礦物展上首次展示了這種寶石。
Colgem Ltd. 的首席銷售經理 Israel Z. Eliezri 說,納米比亞錳鋁榴石的第一個商品名稱是“Hollandine”。另一個早期的商品名稱是“Kunene spessartine”。兩者很快都被“橘色石榴石”所取代。
不幸的是,這兩個納米比亞礦床在 1998 年耗盡。
幸運的是,此後又出現了更多的橘子石榴石礦床!
第一個額外的礦床是 1998 年在尼日利亞,那裡開始生產錳鋁榴石含量約為 95% 的橙色柘榴石。
2007 年,坦桑尼亞開始生產橙色錳鋁石,其成分也與納米比亞橘子石榴石相似,含有 77.5% 的錳鋁榴石、17.9% 的鎂鋁榴石和 4.6% 的鈣鋁榴石。
我們應該注意,“橘色石榴石”這個名稱除了是一種橙色錳鋁榴石(通常為亮橙色)之外並沒有官方定義。最初,該術語僅適用於產自納米比亞的亮橙色錳鋁榴石。但由於出現了其他地區,有些人使用“橘色石榴石”來描述任何橙色錳鋁榴石,無論來源如何。
回到形而上學的一面,橘子石榴石的治療特性是什麼?
作為一種橙色的療愈石,橘子石榴石的療愈能力反映了其他橙色寶石的療愈能力,可提升創造力、活力和信心。
在身體上,據說橘子石榴石的好處包括治療:
偏頭痛
炎
關節炎
生殖健康
消化問題
失智
在情感上,橘子石榴石被認為可以幫助您:
做出更明智的決定,尤其是在擔任領導職務時
增強自信
安於脆弱
釋放憤怒、嫉妒或痛苦的情緒
應對壓力大的生活轉變
脈輪療愈是能量療癒的一種形式,涉及打開或平衡身體的特定能量中心(脈輪),以解決與該能量中心“阻塞”相關的負面症狀。
普通話石榴石是骶骨脈輪的絕佳脈輪石。骶脈輪位於肚臍正下方。這是您的身體自我(建立在根脈輪中)開始與世界進行情感互動以確立您的身份的地方。
受阻的骶脈輪會導致不平衡的情感依戀,無論是通過迴避還是相互依賴。其他阻塞跡象包括過度放縱、羞恥或脾氣暴躁。
一旦脈輪再次平衡,您將能夠尊重自己的感受而不受其控制。此外,您的情緒可以毫無羞恥地自由流動,讓您探索自己的慾望。
除了治療之外,橘子石榴石有價值嗎?當然可以,但確切的價值取決於它們的質量。
橘色石榴石的價值主要取決於顏色和克拉重量,但切工和淨度也有一定影響。橘色柘榴石之所以受歡迎,部分原因在於它沒有經過寶石處理。
最好的橘色石榴石顏色是純淨、濃郁的橙色,飽和度高,整體著色均勻。鐵(有時來自鈣鐵礦)的存在賦予了棕色調,從而降低了價值。
最好的橘子石榴石是刻面的,幾乎可以有任何形狀。出色的切工可最大限度地發揮水晶的亮色、亮度和色散——通常是帶有明亮刻面或階梯刻面的橢圓形切工。
質量較低的材料可能會被切割成凸圓形。柑橘石榴石也可以雕刻。
錳鋁榴石是II 類有色寶石,這意味著預計會有一些可見的內含物。橘色錳鋁榴石(如來自納米比亞的橘子石榴石)往往包含更多。
橘色柘榴石可能包含的內含物包括:
可見內含物越少,價值越高。
超過 5 克拉的刻面橘子石榴石非常罕見,超過 10 克拉的則極為罕見。一顆特別大的橘子石榴石是一顆 39.35 克拉的刻面寶石,陳列在休斯頓自然科學博物館。
較小的橘子石榴石可能相當便宜,但即使是 1 克拉的橘子石榴石也可能比 0.5 克拉的選擇貴得多。
與其他石榴石一樣,錳鋁榴石通常形成於經歷變質作用的富含鋁的沉積岩中。這個過程通常發生在會聚的構造板塊上,涉及熱量和壓力改變內部礦物的成分,從而產生石榴石等新礦物。
橘色石榴石存在於片岩或片麻岩中,例如納米比亞富含鎂的片麻岩。
目前,唯一已知的橘子石榴石產地是納米比亞(儘管該礦目前已關閉)、坦桑尼亞和尼日利亞。
不過,一些來自馬達加斯加和美國加利福尼亞州的錳鋁榴石具有類似的純橙色。
一顆橘色柘榴石值多少錢?橘色石榴石的價格從低至每克拉 2.50 美元到高至每克拉 1,200 美元不等。
高品質、刻面橘色柘榴石(外觀乾淨、純橙色)通常每克拉 300 美元左右。總的來說,刻面橘子石榴石的價格一般在每克拉 200 美元到 1,200 美元之間。
非凡的巨大(10 克拉以上)刻面橘子石榴石的每克拉價格在 850 美元到近 2,800 美元之間。
凸圓面石榴石起價約為 4 美元,巨大的(35 克拉以上)價格可達 6,000 美元以上。大多數價格在 5 到 20 美元之間。
如果這些超出您的價格範圍,可以考慮更實惠的橙色柘榴石是金黃榴石(通常顏色更深或顏色更深)和馬來亞柘榴石(顏色更粉紅,種類更多)。
幸運的是,橘色柘榴石的寶石護理很簡單。您可能需要在橘色石榴石戒指上進行保護性鑲嵌,但對於橘色石榴石耳環或吊墜,沒有它們應該沒問題。
您可以使用溫和的肥皂、溫水和軟牙刷清潔橘子石榴石。
使其遠離蒸鍋、酸或熱源。與其他寶石分開存放。
您不必會說普通話,也能欣賞到普通話石榴石的美麗和魅力。閃亮的光芒、積極的態度和令人驚嘆的自然橙色調,有什麼不值得愛的呢?
本文是否有幫助?