How light is too light to be classified as Tsavorite Green Garnet ?

The answer is never! Garnet green in color (grossular garnet or grossularite) is considered tsavorite from very pale or spring green in color right up to dark green or chrome green. Tsavorite garnet refers to not the color but the chemical composition of the mineral iteself therefore even a yellow grossular or a very dark grossular can still be considered tsavorite. The chemical that makes a tsavorite green is chronium, the more chromium or chrome within the stone makes the color more intense green.One must remember that tsavorite garnet is a very rare mineral and is only mined at 2 locations with small production. If we were to eliminate all hues outside the most popular chrome green (medium dark green) spectrum then we would be left with around 0.05% of all production being called tsavorite garnet. This is too rare to be marketed as a jewellery stone and so therefore its allowed the grace of extending it color range to allow the mineral to accept yellowish green as tsavorite.

The tsavorite below is the worlds largest tsavorite even found, a wopping 325.13cts.



Garnet