How much is a 1 carat of Rhodolite Garnet selling in Malaysia? | JEWEL CAFÉ Malaysia

Rhodolite garnet is a widely circulated and representative gem in the garnet family. It is produced by mixing the components of magnesia garnet and almandine. The burgundy color of purple and red is very popular.

In recent years, bright purple garnets have been gradually mined and sold at high prices in the rhodolite market. The following will introduce the origin, value, characteristics and meaning in detail.

Properties of Gems

Allegorical symbol

Victory, chastity, unswerving love, proof of friendship, bloom and bear fruit

Symbol

Winning, unwavering belief, fruitful life

Country & Place of Origin

• United States : North Carolina

• Tanzania : Unba

• India： Orissa

• Malawi： The whole territory

• Mozambique: The whole territory

• Brazil: The whole territory

• Sri Lanka: The whole territory

• Norway: The whole territory

Features and characteristics

Origin of the name

Rhodolite presents a beautiful rose color that is very different from other red garnets. The English name is taken from the Greek “Rhodon” and the mineral “Lite”.

The history of Rhodolite

Rhodolite was discovered in North Carolina in the United States in 1882 and continued to be mined until the veins were exhausted in 1902. After about 60 years, it was not until 1964 that a vast deposit was discovered in the Omba Valley in Tanzania, and then fine-quality rough stones were also mined in Sri Lanka and India. Since then, it has been maintained on a large scale of mining.

Rhodolite is a silicate mineral. It is produced by mixing the components of Pyrop and Almandine in the aluminum series (Pyralspite, red garnet). It is the commercial name of this gem. (※1). Although both are red garnets, rose garnets are different from reddish-brown aldolite and deep red almandine. The bright red and purple color is a major feature. In recent years, purple rhodolite has been discovered, and it has begun to circulate in a few markets.

Rhodolite and Pyrope Almandine Garnet

Rhodolite garnet is a solid solution of pyrope Almandine Garnet, but some gems with the same composition are not called rhodolite, but Pyrope Almandine Garnet.
The composition of rhodolite is not uniform. If the composition of pyrope almandine garnet is more, it will present a bright wine red color, while the higher the composition of almandine garnet, it will have a darker reddish brown. This is because almandine contains more iron ions, and because the ore with more almandine has almost no gem value, it is not called by the commercial name “rhodolite”, but name of pyrope almandine garnet.

Purple Rhodolite

The purple rhodolite presents a rich and magnificent purple hue known as the “Royal Purple”. In recent years, it has been famous for its gem purchases. It is known as the birthplace of gemstone trading, and the world-famous Tucson mineral in the United States has been exhibited, and it has become popular topic among gem fans. This purple garnet first began to circulate in the Bangkok market in early 2016 under the name “Purple Garnet” and then analyzed by GIA Research Institute (Bangkok) to prove that it is Rhodolite. The research institute (Bangkok) analysis proved that it is Rhodolite. At present, there are a small number of circulations in Malaysia.

Maintenance of Rhodolite

In terms of daily maintenance, wipe gently with a soft cloth such as sheepskin immediately after wearing it. If sebum and sweat cannot be removed by wiping alone, causing the jewelry to appear as a layer of water mist, you can soak the jewelry with a diluted neutral kitchen detergent, and then gently scrub with a soft brush. Rhodolite is hard in texture; this way of the maintenance will not cause scars. However, if the cleaning agent is left unintentionally, it may cause the jewelry to fog. Therefore, you should not directly stand after cleaning, but should immediately rinse the cleaning agent thoroughly with running water. In addition, if the setting is not strong enough, it will occasionally fall off, so please be careful when washing to avoid falling off the gemstone into the drain. After rinsing, it is recommended to use a dry cloth to absorb moisture, avoid direct sunlight, store in a cool place, and store it separately from other gems (scratches may be caused by friction due to hardness).

※1 (Commercial name): It is not an informal gem name and mineral name, but a name given for commercial purposes.
※2 “Solid solution”: refers to an individual that is a mixture of two or more elements, and each part has the same composition and uniform quality.

Value

Rhodolite garnet is a beautiful gemstone with a burgundy color. It is widely circulating and popular in the market. It can be said to be the best protagonist in the garnet family. Due to the large amount of mining, the price is only higher than the brown almandine, which is reasonable and easy to obtain. Therefore, there are many silver jewelry and energy stones on the market.
In addition, rhodolite has a unique color and luster, and shows a balanced beauty. It is a very popular jewelry material. Rhodolite with good texture or heavy weight is very valuable, and the made jewelry is also very popular.

Value Standard

High-grade rhodolite garnet presents rich and vivid red-purple, no mixed brown or other colors, and high transparency. Regardless of whether the gem is large or small, some of the colors are relatively affordable, and they can be easily collected by novices.
Most of the 2 to 3 carats of rhodolite are at a price that can be easily obtained, but there are also items with a price of up to RM 1,000 or even higher, which can be said to be gems with considerable price fluctuations. And if it is the same as other gemstones, with good texture and heavy weight, 8 to 10 carats may be as high as RM 1,000. Therefore, when evaluating the value of jewelry, the carat (ct) and size (mm) should be taken into consideration.

In addition, although it is also rhodolite garnet, purple rhodolite is quite rare and bright, so the price is much higher than that of burgundy rhodolite of the same quality.