The precious and lovely demantoid is the most expensive kind of garnet on the market today. Gemstone lovers value it because of its rarity and its incredible luminosity, brilliance and fire; perhaps that’s why its name means “diamond-like”. Some gemstone lovers claim that a demantoid will continue to glow even in the shade. There is an explanation: the demantoid has a very high refraction – which means it splits the light which comes in through the facets and breaks it down into a rainbow of colors. Some say it does this better than the diamond.
Demantoid specimens come in several shades of green, with the rare deep emerald green being the most precious. Large demantoid are seldom found and always expensive. Most are very small, usually less than two carats and most barely exceeding one carat.
Demantoid are found in Russia (the most sought after) and Namibia.
Demantoid
