Spessartite Garnets

Spessartite garnets were named after the first discovery in the German Spessart Mountains, and have since been found in a number of locations - mainly in Africa. Often called "Mandarin" garnet because only the high ranking officials in ancient China (the mandarines) were allowed to wear orange. More durable and brilliant than both orange citrine or tourmaline, and substantially less expensive than orange sapphire, spessartite garnets are a great choice for an orange gemstone.