0.83 Ct. Garnet from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This cushion shaped red garnet began its story deep within the high grade metamorphic belts of Ceylon, where regional tectonics and prolonged heat and pressure created the conditions necessary for garnet crystallization millions of years ago. Aluminum rich sediments and mafic intrusives underwent recrystallization during regional metamorphism, concentrating iron and magnesium into the garnet structure along with silica and aluminum. Over geological time frames, these prismatic and equant crystals grew in a slowly evolving metamorphic matrix, their crystal lattice achieving the dense, isotropic structure that defines garnet species in the almandine pyrope compositional series common to Sri Lankan deposits. Subsequent uplift and prolonged erosion liberated these crystals from their host schists, transporting them into alluvial terraces and gem gravels where natural tumbling and selective abrasion rounded crystal edges and preserved high clarity specimens. This particular stone, with its transparent body and intense chroma, is a direct record of those metamorphic and surface processes, retaining primary growth zoning at microscopic scale that informs specialists about its thermal history and provenance.

Measured at 0.83 carat with dimensions of 5.50 by 5.44 by 3.37 millimeters, this cushion presents as a compact, well balanced gem, with a calculated depth percentage of approximately 61.6 percent that contributes to both strong color saturation and efficient light return. The cutter employed a mixed brilliant faceting strategy, combining a brilliant style crown to maximize internal scintillation, with a more controlled pavilion faceting architecture to concentrate the red saturation without darkening the stone. Facet junctions are crisply executed, and facet symmetry aligns with the cushion outline to preserve visual table symmetry and minimize light leakage. The girdle is well proportioned, and the pavilion angles were selected to complement the stone s high refractive index, producing pronounced brilliance without creating undue windowing. Polishing was executed to an excellent standard, resulting in clean facet planes that enhance luster and allow the intense color intensity to read consistently across viewing angles.

From a gemological and practical perspective this garnet is notable for its eye clean clarity as evaluated at eye level, and for showing the classic isotropic optical behavior of garnet, which yields consistent color without pleochroic variation. The color reads as an intense saturated red with subtle purplish modulation in certain light geometries, a trait often sought by connoisseurs who prize depth of tone coupled with lively sparkle. No clarity enhancing or color enhancing treatments have been applied, the stone is natural and unenhanced, and provenance is stated as Ceylon Sri Lanka. Typical refractive behavior for garnets of this composition supports strong light return, and the gem s combination of compact proportions, mixed brilliant faceting, and excellent polish makes it particularly suitable for close set rings and pendants where both color intensity and durability are desired. At The Natural Gemstone Company we document these technical attributes to ensure informed selection, and we present this 0.83 carat cushion garnet as a work of geological history and lapidary precision, ready for setting by a client or jeweler who appreciates the nuanced interplay of formation, material properties, and expert cutting.