Unboxing Tsavorite & More African Color Gems

Brighter than emerald and rarer than diamond, we're unboxing Tsavorite on today's episode, a variety of January's birthstone! Rebecca is joined by Bruce Bridges, whose father discovered this unique green gem in 1967! Learn the properties of this unique garnet and see the largest precision-cut specimen in history.

Firstly, we have two gorgeous tsavorite garnets mined from Tanzania. The colors are commonly deep-rich green but can also be found in blueish-green or yellowish-green. The color comes from trace amounts of vanadium and chromium, giving off that stunning green hue. Tsavorite garnet derives from the Tsavo River and the Tsavo National Game Reserve.

This gemstone is often confused with May's birthstone because it resembles a deep-green emerald. Tsavorite garnet has good toughness while ranking 7-7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. Finding this gemstone in large sizes or carats is rare, making it very valuable and desired. Some experts say this gemstone is the market's least known and undervalued gemstone.

Plus, we've got even more of the finest 100% natural color gems Africa has to offer!