Pair of Tsavorite Garnet and Diamond Ear Pendants by Siegelson, New York
Pair of Tsavorite Garnet and Diamond Ear Pendants by Siegelson, New York
A pair of ear pendants, each composed of a pear-shape tsavorite garnet briolette accented with a small collet-set full-cut diamond, suspended from a collet-set pear-shape diamond and a diagonally-set cushion-cut diamond, with French ear wires; mounted in platinum
- 2 briolette-cut tsavorite garnets, weighing 13.59 and 15.19 carats
- 2 pear-shaped diamonds, total weighing 1.06 carats
- 2 cushion-cut diamonds, total weighing 0.30 carat
- Measurements: 1 5⁄8 x 7⁄8 inches
Additional cataloguing
Certification
American Gemological Laboratories Colored Stone Origin Report, dated May 20, 2004, stating that the natural green Grossularite Garnets (Tsavorite) are of Tanzanian origin, without evidence of enhancement or treatments, and have a match rating of excellent.
Significance
Tsavorite was first discovered in Tanzania in 1967 by Campbell R. Bridges, but it was impossible to export the stone from that country so he located another stratum in the Tsavo National Park in Kenya. At first only specialists knew of the gemstone, then in 1974 Tiffany & Co. began a promotional campaign that brought the stone to the attention of the public. Henry Platt, the former president of the company, proposed the name tsavorite in reference to its second place of discovery.
The name garnet applies to a group of minerals that all have a similar chemical grouping but properties that vary considerably from one type to another. Within the garnet group there are several varieties; the grossular variety contains a wide range of colors. According to Dr. Jeffrey E. Post, curator of the National Gem and Mineral Collection at the Smithsonian Institution, “The most prized grossular gem in jewelry today is the brilliant green variety called tsavorite.”
The green color of tsavorite is the result of small amounts of vanadium that incorporated into the garnet crystal as it grew. It has a high refractive index, indicating that it has great brilliance, and because of this the stone is often compared to diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. It has almost the same hardness as the emerald—approximately 7.5 on the Mohs scale.
The most desirable tsavorite gemstones are intense green to yellow-green. These ear pendants are superb examples, exhibiting a vivid-green color with traces of yellow. Tsavorite crystals are seldom found over five carats, so these stones, at 13.59 and 15.19 carats, are exceptional not only because of size, but also because of their clarity.
