What is more expensive - ruby ​​or garnet?

Planet Earth contains a whole treasure of minerals, as well as countless unique and beautiful minerals. Thanks to tectonic processes, they are formed over more than one million years. Some of them do not bring any benefit and are not even of any interest to the jewelry industry. But some are considered very expensive gems and belong to the group of precious stones.

Some of these crystals are ruby, also known as yahont in ancient times, and garnet. Minerals are very similar to each other. But lovers of jewelry often have a question: “What is more expensive in value: a ruby ​​or a garnet, and how to distinguish between them?”. Let's try to understand this issue.

What makes up the cost

The final cost of any natural mineral always consists of several indicators:

• shade purity;
• ideal brilliance;
• the presence of inclusions: cracks, air or gas bubbles, scratches, cavities;
• the size;
• cut quality;
• transparency.

If we consider specifically the ruby ​​and garnet, then everything is not so simple here either. Of course, bright red rubies with perfect transparency, perfect brilliance and excellent cut are one of the rarest and most valuable stones and, accordingly, very expensive. Sometimes the cost of such gems can even compete with the cost of diamonds, which, as you know, are considered the most valuable stones at all.

What about garnet and ruby? The fact is that both stones have their own value in the jewelry field. Of course, garnet is considered a simpler mineral. Ruby belongs to the precious stones of the first order. Its mining, production and use are controlled by law, as are diamond, sapphire, emerald and alexandrite.

If we take two minerals that are absolutely identical in their qualitative characteristics, then the garnet will, of course, lose in this “race”. Ruby is more expensive in all respects.

But there are other situations. For example, yahont has not the best characteristics: dim shine, cloudy shade, the presence of many blotches. Then his "rival", which has impeccable properties, will cost more.

How to tell a garnet from a ruby

These minerals are very similar to each other in appearance. If you are not an expert in the field of jewelry, then it will be a little difficult to distinguish between stones. Not without reason, in the distant past, garnet was called by different names directly related to ruby: Californian, American, Arizona, Cape.

How to distinguish these two gems?

1. Ruby has a weak property of dichroism. That is, under the influence of polarized light, it slightly changes its hue and this is very noticeable.
2. Pomegranate, like a magnet, can attract thin sheets of paper or pieces of fluff if rubbed a little with a woolen cloth. His "rival" does not have such a property.

When buying any jewelry that has a stone insert, it is better to give preference to trusted jewelry stores. Be sure to ask the seller for a license, and even better - to conduct an examination of authenticity from professionals.