Tsavorite
Tsavorite is named after the Tsavo National Park in Tanzania, where it was discovered at the end of the 1960's. It is therefore very new on the gem scene. Bright grass green stones are prized for their rarety, commanding high prices for larger stones. They are similar in colour to emerald and show very good brilliance when faceted.
Tsavorite deposits are found in Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar.
Properties of the Gemstone and Additional Information
| Gemstone type: | A variety of grossular garnet |
| Crystal System: | Cubic |
| Chemical Composition: | Ca3Al2(SiO4)3 |
| Colour: | Yellow-green to emerald green, pale yellow, orange and brown |
| Lustre: | Bright vitreous |
| Pleochroism: | None |
| Dispersion: | Low |
| Hardness: | 7 1/4 on the Mohs' scale |
| Toughness: | Good |
| Cleavage: | None |
| Density in gm/cc: | 3.4 to 3.8 |
| Double refraction: | No |
| Refractive index: | 1.734-1.759 |
Common Treatments
Tsavorite is not normally treated.