Garnet, a technical term in geology, is one of the main rock-forming minerals in the upper mantle. The shape and color of garnet crystals are very similar to pomegranate seeds, hence the name "garnet". So, do you know how to distinguish real and fake garnets? I'll tell you below.

How to identify garnet

1. Identification of garnet and other jades

Both red diamond and red zircon have dichroism, and red zircon has dichroism. It also has a strong double shadow, while garnet has no duality, so it is easy to distinguish from garnet; spinel is generally lighter in color, and detailed identification requires the use of instruments. Natural garnets of all colors have some flaws or crystal inclusions (such as needle-shaped gold stones, some gas-liquid two-phase inclusions, etc.), while garnets and glass are often very clean, or have spherical breadcrumb-like bubbles, which are found under Chelsea Strong red, etc. In fact, for some specific garnets, it can also have its own unique characteristics. For example, demantoid garnet (a green variant of andradite) often has "horsetail-shaped" fiber inclusions.

In addition, the so-called "green pomegranate" on the market has nothing to do with garnet. It is actually prehnite. Prehnite is not green garnet, the two are completely different concepts. The combination of prehnite and green garnet in the market is nothing more than financial gain. The value of demantoid garnet is very expensive, compared to diamonds, and is extremely rare in the market.

2. Identification of garnet and its imitations

There are very few imitations of garnet. It's easy to tell. To identify garnet, we mainly start from the following four points:

(1) If the color of garnet is super bright and transparent, and if the price is very attractive, be patient, there is a problem.

(2) Look at the impurities in the cotton wool. It is easy to have black spots and ice cracks in the garnet.

(3) Garnet is heavier than ordinary crystals. Hold it in your hand and weigh it. If it is lighter than rose quartz, you should be wary.

(4) Garnet is relatively delicate, the surface feels very slippery, it feels very comfortable and oily ~ and it has a cold feeling in your hand, which is refreshing. Is it not rose quartz? Glass ?Feel.

Evaluation criteria for garnet

1. Color: The lighter, the better. Garnet crystals are naturally heavier in color than other crystals, so light color is rare! The kind that can be seen at a glance In the past, it looked like black, which was the worst quality. In addition to the more special demantoid garnet, the most common ones we see are red garnets. However, the price of red will vary depending on the depth of the color. Purple garnet has the highest price, followed by rose red. , burgundy, and based on these colors, the lighter the color of garnet, the higher the price, and the garnet that looks very black at first glance, as black as obsidian, is a relatively inferior garnet.

2. Inclusions: The less, the better.

3. Cracks: The fewer the better. There will be natural ice cracks in the natural spar. It is a normal behavior for garnet. It is even more difficult to find one without any cracks. ! If there is no ice at all, it can definitely be called top grade, and it must be the sky-high price among garnets! It is normal for garnets to have ice cracks, but the less ice cracks, the better. In fact, all natural crystals are So true. There are no absolutes, only relative ones.

4. Crystal transparency: The more transparent the crystal, the higher the price. Under the illumination of a single light source, the entire crystal of a good garnet bracelet shines transparently, just like a round and full pomegranate seed. People like it. The worse garnet or artificial garnet will not have such a good effect.

5. Overall texture: Top-quality garnet has a bright surface and strong luster. The price of garnets with good texture is much higher than those with similar texture and low texture.