demantoid garnet

The demantoid garnet was discovered in 1868 in the village of Elizavechinskoye in the Central Urals of Russia. It is closely related to the Romanov dynasty, and many jewelry items using demantoid garnet were produced by order of the Russian emperor Alexander III. However, almost as soon as the Romanov dynasty fell, mining of demantoid garnet in Russia ceased. Today, demantoid garnet is not only found in the Ural Mountains of Russia, but also from other regions of the world: Italy, Iran, Pakistan, Namibia, Madagascar. etc. are known.

Demantoid garnet has a high refractive index and a high degree of dispersion, and has a "diamond luster". It was named after the Dutch word "Demant" (= like a diamond). Emerald, peridot, and tourmaline are famous green gemstones, but demantoid garnet is characterized by a beautiful sparkle with a flickering iridescent fire.