Demantoid

Demantoid is the most precious of the garnets. Its name means “diamond-like”: its dispersion, the way it breaks light into coloured flashes, is stronger still than diamond’s.

Where it comes from

The historic stones come from the Urals, in Russia, where they were the favourites of the imperial court’s jewellers. Their “horsetail” inclusions, fine golden fibres, far from being a flaw, sign this origin and raise their value.

What it becomes

Softer than the other garnets, it prefers a pendant, earrings or a ring worn with care: a collector’s piece, for an eye that knows.