Hydrogrossular Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

Hydrogrossular differs from the other garnets in that it is never transparent. It ranges from translucent to opaque. The most common color is a bluish green, but they are also found in pink, white, and gray.

Because of its coloring and translucency, hydrogrossular is often used as a jade substitute. Large pieces are available, which lend themselves to carving.

Material from New Zealand is known as rodingite (N = 1.702, specific gravity 3.35). So-called Transvaal jade from South Africa occurs in green, gray-green, blueish, and pink colors. Compact and homogeneous, it may have a splintery fracture and waxy luster. The gray material contains zoisite. Pink material, containing Mn, has N = 1.675-1.705 and specific gravity of 3.27. The green, jade-like material has N = 1.728 and specific gravity 3.488.