Gem Focus August 2026: Spessartine Garnet

Posted on August 4, 2026 by Brecken Branstrator, GIA GG

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Spessartine is a manganese-aluminum garnet that comes in a range of orange to reddish brown hues.

There are only a few gem deposits around the world that have produced gem-quality spessartine. Of particular note are Namibia, Tanzania, and Nigeria, the last of which has produced some of the largest and finest spessartines found. It has also been found in the U.S., Brazil, Burma, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and Mozambique.

Orange garnet has been noted as one of the gems doing well at several recent trade shows, and the gem could stand to benefit further from an overall increased interest in orange gems.

This Harry Winston ring with a 30-carat spessartine garnet and diamonds in platinum sold for $151,200 at auction in 2024.
(Image courtesy of Christie’s)

Here are three things to know about spessartine garnet in the modern market:

1. The finest orange spessartine gems without any brown or red modifiers are often referred to as mandarin garnets in the trade. When their color can be compared to the color of orange soda, they may get the “Fanta color” trade descriptor. These are the most expensive types of spessartine garnet, receiving a significant premium over other hues, sometimes more than double in price per carat of comparable sizes for other spessartine stones.
2. Though spessartine garnet as an overall category has gone up in price, it has gone up less than true mandarin garnet, which has increased not only because of demand for fine quality but also because supply of the orange stones has decreased dramatically, especially for finished goods over 2 carats.
3. A 30-carat spessartine garnet of very fine orange color set in a Harry Winston ring with diamond accents and a platinum setting sold for $151,200 at a Christie’s online auction in September 2024, going for well above its pre-sale estimate of between $20,000 and $30,000.

To see spessartine wholesale pricing charts and how it compares to other garnets, subscribe to the GemGuide now.

Enjoy more about spessartine garnets with these links.

Colored Stone Market Report: Tucson Gem Shows 2026 (GemGuide, subscription required)
From Mandarin to Tsavorite: Why Garnets Are Trading High (Rapaport)
Orange You Impressed? It’s Spessartine Garnet! (JCK)

 

Photo in header:
Rough and faceted spessartine garnet.
(Photo credit: Earth’s Treasury)