Natural Garnet in Bangkok: Rhodolite, Tsavorite, Spessartite and More
By Ansh Gupta, second generation at KC Gems House, Jewelry Trade Center, Silom Road, Bangkok
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Alt: Loose natural rhodolite, tsavorite and spessartite garnets in raspberry, green and orange on a white gem paper in Bangkok
Most people think of garnet as a dark red January birthstone in a grandmother’s ring. Walk the dealer floors of the Jewelry Trade Center in Bangkok and you see something very different: raspberry pink rhodolite, neon orange “mandarin” spessartite, green tsavorite that rivals emerald, and colour-change garnets that shift from teal to purple under different lights.
Garnet is not one stone. It is a family of related minerals, and that family gives you more colour for the money than almost any other gem. It is also one of the nine sacred nopphakao stones in Thai tradition, which is why Thai buyers look for โกเมน (garnet) as much as foreign buyers look for rhodolite and tsavorite.
My family has traded coloured stones in Bangkok since 1990, and our office is inside JTC on Silom Road, close to the GIT, AIGS and Lotus Gemology laboratories. On this page I will walk you through every garnet worth buying, how to judge colour, what it should cost per carat in 2026, and how to buy garnet safely in Bangkok. If you already know what you want, jump to how to buy garnet from us or see the full natural gemstones collection.
Garnet at a glance
Mineral family — Garnet group (silicates with the same crystal structure and varying chemistry)
Main gem species — Pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular, andradite
Main trade varieties — Rhodolite, Mozambique (pyrope-almandine), Malaya, spessartite (mandarin), tsavorite, hessonite, demantoid, colour-change garnet
Hardness — 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale depending on species
Crystal system — Cubic, so it shows no double refraction
Typical treatment — None for nearly all garnet
Birthstone — January
Thai name — โกเมน
What garnet actually is
Garnet is a group of silicate minerals that share the same cubic crystal structure but swap different elements into it. Magnesium, iron, manganese, calcium, aluminium and chromium all change the colour. The result is a family that covers almost every colour except a true blue.
For buyers, the important species and varieties are:
• Pyrope and almandine. The red to purple-red garnets. Most “Mozambique garnet” and “rhodolite” sits on the line between these two.
• Rhodolite. A pyrope-almandine garnet with a raspberry, purple-pink to purplish red colour. The name comes from the Greek word for rose.
• Spessartine (spessartite). The orange garnet, coloured by manganese. The brightest is sold as “mandarin garnet”.
• Grossular. Includes green tsavorite (coloured by vanadium and chromium), orange-brown hessonite, and mint and pastel grossulars.
• Andradite. Includes demantoid, a green garnet with more fire than diamond.
• Malaya and colour-change garnets. Mixed pyrope-spessartine garnets from East Africa in peach, pink-orange and colour-change shades.
The biggest advantage of garnet for a buyer is that it is almost never treated. No heat, no filling, no diffusion. What you see is what the earth made.
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Alt: The garnet family in one row showing red almandine, raspberry rhodolite, orange spessartite, green tsavorite, brown hessonite and green demantoid
Garnet in history and in Thai tradition
Garnet has been worn for more than 5,000 years. Ancient Egyptians buried red garnet necklaces with their dead, Anglo-Saxon goldsmiths set thousands of thin garnet slices into the Sutton Hoo treasure, and Victorian jewellers in Bohemia (today’s Czech Republic) made dark red pyrope garnet jewellery fashionable across Europe.
In Thailand, garnet is โกเมน, one of the nine stones in the นพเก้า (nopphakao) set alongside diamond, ruby, emerald, yellow sapphire, blue sapphire, moonstone, zircon and cat’s eye. The nopphakao ring was historically a sign of rank at the Siamese court, and today many Thai buyers still choose garnet for nopphakao jewellery and for its traditional meanings of loyalty and protection.
The garnets worth buying, one by one
Rhodolite garnet
Rhodolite is the garnet most of our clients ask for first. It ranges from soft purple-pink to deep raspberry red, and the best stones are bright, saturated and sit right between pink and red with a purple undertone.
What makes a fine rhodolite:
• A vivid raspberry or “grape” colour with no brown and no grey.
• Medium tone. Rhodolite gets dark quickly. Many large stones look almost black in low light. The best stones keep their colour under indoor lighting.
• Eye-clean clarity. Rhodolite is a “type II” gem, normally expected to be eye clean, and clean material is easy to find.
• A good cut that keeps the stone bright. Shallow cuts are often used to lighten darker rough.
Key origins: Tanzania (including the Umba Valley), Mozambique, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and India. Rhodolite is cut in Thailand in large quantities and is one of the best value stones in the Bangkok market.
Mozambique garnet
“Mozambique garnet” is a trade name for red pyrope-almandine garnet, mostly from Mozambique and other East African deposits. It is deep red, sometimes with a slight orange or purple cast, very clean and very affordable. It is the stone behind most of the red January birthstone jewellery sold around the world, and it is ideal for calibrated stones, eternity bands and large statement pieces on a budget.
Spessartite (mandarin) garnet
Spessartite is orange garnet coloured by manganese. It ranges from yellow-orange to reddish orange and brownish orange. The most famous is “mandarin garnet”, a pure, bright, saturated orange discovered in Namibia in the 1990s and later in Nigeria and Tanzania.
What makes a fine spessartite: a pure orange with no brown, high brightness and good size. Spessartite often contains small inclusions, so slightly included stones are acceptable at lower prices. Fine mandarin garnet over three carats is genuinely rare.
Tsavorite garnet
Tsavorite is green grossular garnet from Kenya and Tanzania, coloured by vanadium and chromium. The best tsavorite is a vivid, slightly bluish green that rivals fine emerald in colour, and it is usually cleaner and brighter than emerald, with no oil or resin treatment.
Tsavorite is found mostly in small sizes. Stones under one carat are common, clean stones over two carats are rare, and stones over five carats are museum pieces. That is why tsavorite prices per carat climb steeply with size. For a buyer who wants a green stone and does not want the clarity treatments common in emerald, tsavorite is an excellent choice.
Hessonite garnet
Hessonite is orange to cinnamon brown grossular garnet, mainly from Sri Lanka and India. It has a distinctive “treacly” look caused by internal swirls, and it is popular in Vedic astrology as the stone for Rahu (known as gomed). Prices are modest.
Demantoid garnet
Demantoid is green andradite garnet with dispersion (fire) higher than diamond’s. Russian demantoid from the Ural Mountains, with its famous “horsetail” inclusions, is the classic. Namibia and Madagascar also produce it. Demantoid is softer (about 6.5 Mohs) and rarer than tsavorite. We source it on request.
Malaya and colour-change garnet
Malaya garnet is a pyrope-spessartine mix in peach, pink-orange and orange-pink tones, first found in the Umba Valley of Tanzania. Colour-change garnets, mainly from Tanzania, Madagascar and Sri Lanka, can shift from blue-green or brownish green in daylight to purple-red in incandescent light. The rare blue to purple colour-change garnet is one of the few ways to get a “blue” garnet at all.
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Alt: A green tsavorite garnet next to a green emerald showing the brighter, cleaner look of the tsavorite
How to judge garnet colour
Colour is the most important factor in every garnet. Here is how I judge it.
1. Hue. Is it the colour the variety should be? Rhodolite should sit between pink and red with a purple undertone. Spessartite should be pure orange. Tsavorite should be green, ideally with a slight blue.
2. Tone. Garnets are often too dark. A stone that looks black in the shade has lost most of its value. Look for medium to medium-dark tone that stays bright indoors.
3. Saturation. The stronger and purer the colour, the higher the price. Brownish, greyish or “muddy” stones cost much less.
4. Brightness. Garnet is singly refractive and usually clean, so a well-cut garnet should sparkle. Dark areas and see-through windows mean a poor cut.
Always look at garnet in daylight and under warm indoor light. Rhodolite in particular can shift from pink in daylight to a deeper red indoors.
Where the best garnet comes from
Rhodolite — Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, India
Mozambique (pyrope-almandine) — Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya
Spessartite and mandarin — Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Madagascar
Tsavorite — Kenya, Tanzania
Hessonite — Sri Lanka, India
Demantoid — Russia (Urals), Namibia, Madagascar
Malaya and colour-change — Tanzania, Madagascar, Sri Lanka
Most of this rough is cut in Thailand and India. Chanthaburi and Bangkok cutters handle large volumes of rhodolite, Mozambique garnet and spessartite, which is why Bangkok is one of the best places in the world to buy cut garnet at trade prices.
Is garnet treated?
Almost never. Garnet is one of the few major coloured stones that is sold almost entirely untreated.
• Heat, filling and diffusion: Extremely rare in garnet. If a garnet is treated, it must be disclosed.
• Synthetic garnet: Natural-looking synthetic garnet in jewellery is rare. You will see YAG (yttrium aluminium garnet) and GGG, which are man-made materials used as diamond simulants, but they are not the gem garnets on this page.
• Imitations: Red glass and doublets (garnet-topped glass) existed historically. A gemmologist identifies them in seconds.
At our desk every garnet is described in writing as natural and untreated, with the variety named. If you want a laboratory report, GIT and AIGS are a short walk from JTC.
Clarity, cut and carat weight in garnet
Clarity
Rhodolite, Mozambique garnet and tsavorite are normally expected to be eye clean, and clean stones are easy to find. Spessartite and demantoid often have visible inclusions, and the trade accepts that: demantoid’s horsetail inclusions even add value.
Cut
Garnet is cut in every shape. Ovals, cushions and rounds are most common for rhodolite and spessartite. Tsavorite is often cut in small rounds and ovals to save weight. Because darker garnets can look black, cutters often cut them shallower to lighten the colour. A good cut keeps the stone bright edge to edge without a window in the centre.
Carat weight
Rhodolite and Mozambique garnet are available in large sizes at reasonable prices. Spessartite and tsavorite become rare above two to three carats. Garnet has a high density, so a one carat garnet looks slightly smaller than a one carat sapphire or diamond of the same shape. Always compare by millimetre size, not just carats.
Garnet price per carat in 2026
These are typical Bangkok retail ranges for natural, faceted, eye-clean garnet from 1 to 3 carats, well cut. Top colour, larger sizes and laboratory reports cost more.
Mozambique red garnet — $10 to $50
Rhodolite, commercial — $30 to $90
Rhodolite, fine raspberry, bright — $90 to $250
Hessonite — $20 to $80
Spessartite, brownish orange — $50 to $200
Mandarin spessartite, vivid orange — $200 to $900
Malaya garnet — $80 to $400
Colour-change garnet — $200 to $2,000+
Tsavorite under 1 ct — $200 to $800
Tsavorite 1 to 3 ct, fine green — $800 to $3,000+
Demantoid, fine — $1,000 to $6,000+
What moves the price:
1. Variety. Tsavorite and demantoid are in a different league from rhodolite.
2. Colour purity and brightness. A vivid, bright rhodolite can cost three times a dark one.
3. Size. Tsavorite and spessartite prices per carat jump at two and three carats.
4. Cut. Precision-cut garnets cost more per carat but look much brighter.
Garnet is the best value coloured stone family I know. For the price of a commercial one carat sapphire you can often buy a bright, clean three carat rhodolite.
Garnet vs ruby, emerald and other stones
If you like: Ruby · Consider this garnet: Rhodolite or Mozambique garnet · Why: Red to raspberry colour, untreated, a fraction of the price
If you like: Emerald · Consider this garnet: Tsavorite · Why: Vivid green, cleaner and brighter, no oil
If you like: Padparadscha or orange sapphire · Consider this garnet: Mandarin spessartite or Malaya · Why: Bright orange to peach, untreated
If you like: Pink sapphire · Consider this garnet: Light rhodolite or Malaya · Why: Soft pink to peach tones
The trade-off is hardness. Sapphire and ruby are 9 on the Mohs scale; most garnet is 7 to 7.5. That is fine for earrings, pendants and rings worn with a little care, but for a ring you will wear every day for decades, a protective setting such as a bezel or halo helps.
Garnet size guide: millimetres to carats
Because garnet is denser than sapphire, diamond or spinel, the same carat weight gives you a slightly smaller stone. These are approximate weights for well-proportioned oval rhodolite and Mozambique garnet. Tsavorite and spessartite are a little heavier for the same size.
6 x 4 — 0.5
7 x 5 — 0.9
8 x 6 — 1.5
9 x 7 — 2.2
10 x 8 — 3.2
12 x 10 — 5.5
14 x 10 — 7.5
When you plan a ring, choose the millimetre size that suits your finger and setting first, then look at what that size costs in each garnet variety. Your jeweller needs the millimetre size, not the carat weight, to make the setting.
What your budget buys in garnet
Here is roughly what a budget gets you in Bangkok for a loose garnet, before setting.
• Under $100: A clean, well-cut Mozambique garnet of three carats or more, or a bright one to two carat rhodolite. Perfect for a first coloured stone or a gift.
• $100 to $500: A fine raspberry rhodolite of two to three carats, a good hessonite, or a bright spessartite of one to two carats.
• $500 to $2,000: A vivid mandarin spessartite of two to three carats, a fine Malaya garnet, a good colour-change garnet, or a fine tsavorite of around one carat.
• $2,000 to $10,000: A fine tsavorite of two to three carats, a large vivid mandarin, or a fine demantoid of around one carat.
• Over $10,000: Collector tsavorite over three carats, large demantoid with fine horsetail inclusions, or exceptional colour-change stones with laboratory reports.
Add the setting cost on top. A simple 14k or 18k gold ring made in Bangkok usually costs far less than the same ring in Europe or the US, because you are buying at factory level.
From mine to Bangkok: how garnet reaches JTC
Garnet is mined across East Africa, South Asia and beyond, mostly by small-scale miners. Rough is traded near the mines in places such as Arusha in Tanzania and Ratnapura in Sri Lanka, then shipped to cutting centres. Thailand’s cutters in Chanthaburi and Bangkok handle huge volumes of rhodolite, Mozambique garnet and spessartite, while India’s Jaipur cuts much of the smaller calibrated material.
From the cutting houses, stones reach the dealer offices of the Jewelry Trade Center and the streets around Silom and Mahesak Road. Buyers from Hong Kong, India, Europe, the US and the Middle East come here to buy, and that competition keeps prices at trade level. When you buy garnet in Silom, you skip several middle steps that a retail store in London or New York has paid for.
How to buy garnet safely in Bangkok
Garnet is low risk compared with sapphire or ruby because it is rarely treated, but you should still buy carefully.
1. Buy from an established dealer at JTC or Silom. Never from a shop a stranger or tuk-tuk driver takes you to.
2. Ask for the variety in writing. “Garnet” is not enough. You want “rhodolite”, “spessartite” or “tsavorite” on the invoice.
3. Check colour in daylight and indoors. Dark garnets can lose their colour under shop lights.
4. Compare by size in millimetres. Garnet is dense, so carat weight can be misleading.
5. Get a report for tsavorite, demantoid and colour-change stones. For a fine stone over one carat, a GIT or AIGS report is worth it.
For a fuller guide, read why Bangkok is one of the world’s best places to buy gemstones and our how to buy page.
Common garnet buying mistakes
These are the mistakes I see most often, usually from buyers who bought somewhere else first.
1. Buying by carat, not by look. A five carat garnet that looks black is worth less than a two carat garnet that glows. Buy colour and brightness first.
2. Paying tsavorite prices for “green garnet”. Some green grossular and other green stones are sold loosely as “tsavorite”. Real tsavorite has a specific vivid green from vanadium and chromium. Ask for the variety in writing, and get a report on fine stones.
3. Judging under shop lights only. Bright LED shop lighting flatters dark garnets. Take the stone to a window.
4. Ignoring the cut. A deep, lumpy native cut can hide a beautiful colour. A good recut often turns a dull stone into a great one, and we can arrange recutting with experienced cutters.
5. Choosing the wrong setting for daily wear. Garnet is softer than sapphire. If you wear a ring every day, ask for a bezel or a halo to protect the edges.
6. Assuming all red stones are garnet. Red glass, synthetic spinel and other materials have been sold as garnet in tourist areas. Buy from a dealer who will put the identification in writing.
Why buy garnet from us
There are many honest garnet dealers in Bangkok. Here is how we work.
• Family trade since 1990. KC Gems House was built by my father, KC Gupta, who started trading coloured stones in Bangkok in 1990. I run it today as the second generation. Read more on our family business page and my page.
• Inside JTC, at trade level. Our office is in the Jewelry Trade Center on Silom Road, where professional buyers source stones. No tourist shop margins.
• We know who has what. Garnet varieties come from different specialists. If we do not hold the tsavorite or mandarin you want, we source it from dealers we have known for years and show you options side by side.
• Variety and treatment in writing. Every garnet is named and described on the invoice.
• Independent reports on request. GIT and AIGS are minutes away; AIGS is in the same building.
• Set in gold, here. We make garnet rings, pendants and earrings in 10k, 14k and 18k gold. See custom jewellery in Bangkok or start a custom order.
• Worldwide shipping. Daylight videos and photos before you pay, insured shipping to the UK, Europe, the US, the Middle East and beyond.
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Alt: A raspberry rhodolite garnet cocktail ring set in 18k yellow gold made in Bangkok
Garnet jewellery ideas
• Rhodolite cocktail rings. A large, bright rhodolite in yellow gold is one of the best value statement rings you can own.
• Tsavorite engagement and three-stone rings. A green tsavorite centre with diamond side stones is a durable, untreated alternative to emerald. See our bridal settings.
• Mandarin garnet pendants. Bright orange spessartite looks spectacular in a simple bezel pendant.
• Garnet eternity bands. Calibrated Mozambique garnet or rhodolite works beautifully in stacking bands.
• Nopphakao rings. Garnet is one of the nine stones in the traditional Thai nopphakao ring. We make nopphakao rings with natural stones to order.
• Birthstone jewellery. Garnet is the January birthstone, ideal for mothers’ rings and family pendants.
Our honest breakdown of what factory-price custom jewellery at JTC actually costs explains how setting costs work in Bangkok.
Caring for garnet
• Cleaning: Warm water, mild soap, a soft brush. Ultrasonic cleaning is usually safe for clean, untreated garnet, but avoid it for demantoid and included stones.
• Wear: Garnet is 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. It handles daily wear in earrings and pendants. For rings, choose protective settings and take them off for gym and gardening.
• Heat: Avoid sudden temperature changes. Tell your jeweller the stone is garnet before any repair.
• Storage: Store garnet separately from diamonds, sapphires and rubies, which can scratch it.
Garnet for wholesale buyers
We supply calibrated rhodolite, Mozambique garnet, spessartite and tsavorite in standard sizes, matched pairs and layouts, plus single fine stones. Tell us the variety, size range, quantity and budget and we will put together a parcel with videos. See our wholesale page.
โกเมนแท้ ที่ JTC สีลม
โกเมน (Garnet) เป็นหนึ่งในพลอยนพเก้าทั้งเก้าชนิด เป็นพลอยธรรมชาติที่แทบไม่เคยผ่านการเผาหรือปรับปรุงคุณภาพ และมีหลายสีมากกว่าที่หลายคนคิด
• โรโดไลต์ (Rhodolite) สีชมพูอมแดงแบบราสเบอร์รี่ สดและสว่าง
• โกเมนโมซัมบิก สีแดงเข้ม ราคาเข้าถึงง่าย
• สเปสซาไทต์ (Spessartite) สีส้มสด หรือ “แมนดาริน”
• ซาโวไรต์ (Tsavorite) สีเขียวสดคล้ายมรกต แต่ใสกว่าและไม่ต้องอบน้ำมัน
เราคือ KC Gems House ค้าพลอยในกรุงเทพฯ มาตั้งแต่ปี 1990 สำนักงานอยู่ในอาคาร Jewelry Trade Center ถนนสีลม เราแจ้งชนิดของโกเมนและการปรับปรุงคุณภาพเป็นลายลักษณ์อักษรก่อนชำระเงิน ส่งตรวจใบรับรองจาก GIT หรือ AIGS ได้ และรับทำแหวนโกเมน แหวนนพเก้า จี้ และต่างหู ด้วยทอง 10K 14K และ 18K
ราคาโกเมนขึ้นอยู่กับชนิด สี ความสด และขนาด โกเมนโมซัมบิกและโรโดไลต์ราคาไม่สูง ส่วนซาโวไรต์และสเปสซาไทต์สีสวยขนาดใหญ่มีราคาสูงกว่ามาก ติดต่อเราเพื่อดูพลอยจริงและราคาปัจจุบัน
Frequently asked questions about garnet
What is the most valuable type of garnet?
Demantoid and fine tsavorite are the most valuable garnets per carat, followed by vivid mandarin spessartite and rare colour-change garnets. Rhodolite and Mozambique garnet are the most affordable.
How much is rhodolite garnet per carat?
For eye-clean stones from 1 to 3 carats, commercial rhodolite runs about $30 to $90 per carat, and fine, bright raspberry rhodolite about $90 to $250 per carat in Bangkok.
Is garnet treated?
Almost never. Nearly all gem garnet is natural and untreated. Any treatment should be disclosed in writing.
Where can I buy real garnet in Bangkok?
At established dealers in and around the Jewelry Trade Center (JTC) on Silom Road. Ask for the garnet variety and treatment in writing, look at stones in daylight, and avoid any shop a stranger takes you to. Our office is inside JTC.
Is tsavorite better than emerald?
Tsavorite is harder, usually cleaner and brighter than emerald, and is not oiled. Emerald is more famous and has a softer, velvety look. Tsavorite is rarely found above two or three carats, so large stones are expensive.
Is garnet good for an engagement ring?
Yes, with a protective setting. Most garnets are 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. Tsavorite and rhodolite are popular coloured engagement stones, especially in bezel, halo or three-stone settings.
What does garnet mean in Thai culture?
Garnet (โกเมน) is one of the nine nopphakao stones in the traditional Thai nine-gem ring, historically worn at the Siamese court as a symbol of rank and protection.
Why does my garnet look almost black?
Many garnets, especially large rhodolite and almandine, are dark in tone. A good cutter lightens them with a shallower cut, and they look best in daylight or bright light. When buying, choose medium-toned stones that stay colourful indoors.
Is mandarin garnet the same as spessartite?
Mandarin garnet is a trade name for the most vivid, pure orange spessartite (spessartine), first found in Namibia and later in Nigeria and Tanzania.
Do you ship garnet internationally?
Yes. We send daylight videos and photos before payment and ship insured worldwide.
Talk to us about garnet
Tell us which garnet you are looking for, the size and the budget, and we will send real daylight videos with the variety and treatment confirmed. Visit us at JTC, or buy remotely.
Ask about a garnet
Explore other natural stones: spinel, zircon, star sapphire, pink and padparadscha sapphire, tourmaline, amethyst and citrine and cat’s eye chrysoberyl. Or go back to all natural gemstones.