1.09 Ct. Tsavorite Garnet from East Africa

This listing presents a transparent 1.09 carat oval tsavorite garnet, with exact dimensions of 7.42 by 5.41 by 3.14 millimeters, cut in a mixed brilliant style to emphasize both color and return of light. The length to width ratio is approximately 1.37 to 1, a proportion that reads as a balanced oval on the finger, and the measured depth equates to approximately 48.97 percent of the average diameter, a deliberate shallow pavilion profile that maximizes face up spread while maintaining a strong optical performance. The cutting schema follows a modified brilliant philosophy, with a brilliant crown arrangement combined with a pavilion that incorporates additional fine facets to tune light return to the refractive index of grossular garnet, which typically ranges near 1.740 to 1.760. The gem presents as eye clean when evaluated at typical viewing distances, with no inclusions visible to the unaided eye, and it carries an excellent polish throughout, including well defined facet junctions and a precisely rendered table plane. There has been no enhancement to alter color or clarity, and provenance is indicated as East Africa, which is consistent with the classical tsavorite sources in the Kenya Tanzania region.

From a lapidary and performance perspective this tsavorite illustrates thoughtful facet planning and execution. The mixed brilliant approach produces intense pavilion reflections and rapid color saturation, as the cutter optimized facet angles with respect to the stone specific gravity and refractive properties to control light leakage and to enhance return of the vivid green body color. The crown exhibits crisp star and bezel facets that disperse light into controlled flashes, and the pavilion facets are laid out to create a lively internal scintillation without causing a windowed or washed out appearance, the outcome being a vivid and saturated face up color. The girdle is finished to a practical thickness to facilitate secure setting, and the culet is proportioned to avoid unwanted dark voids in the central field. Optical contributors to the gem color are chromium and vanadium trace elements, which produce a pure green hue with even saturation across the table and minimal zoning. The gem hardness at approximately 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale renders this tsavorite suitable for fine daily wear in rings and pendants provided standard precautions are observed, and the specific gravity in the grossular range gives the stone a pleasing heft relative to its dimensions.

This tsavorite also carries a cultural and historical resonance that will appeal to collectors and connoisseurs who value material lineage as much as optical quality. Garnet family stones have been used for centuries across cultures as signets, protective amulets, and focal stones in high ornamental pieces, and green garnets have historically been prized in the same manner as demantoid in European high jewelry and as green stones in East African ornament. Tsavorite itself was introduced to the international gem market in the mid twentieth century following exploration in East Africa, and its bright untreated greens quickly found favor among jewelers who sought a durable emerald alternative with strong brilliance and saturation. The unenhanced character of this specimen preserves those historical associations with natural gem material, and the East African origin ties it directly to the contemporary mining and cutting traditions that produced the stone. The Natural Gemstone Company is offering this gem as an example of careful lapidary work and verified natural origin, ideal for a collector seeking a museum quality tsavorite or for a jeweler designing a bespoke piece that will emphasize pure green color, excellent polish, and secure optical performance. For further technical data, setting recommendations, or detailed imagery from multiple lighting conditions, please contact The Natural Gemstone Company.