round brilliant rhodolite - Tanzaniaround brilliant rhodolite - Tanzania

Rhodolite Garnet Value, Price, and Jewelry Information


Rhodolites are purplish red garnets, a blend between almandine and pyrope in composition. These durable gems have become popular jewelry stones.

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Rhodolites are purplish red garnets, a blend between almandine and pyrope in composition. These durable gems have become popular jewelry stones.

round brilliant rhodolite - Tanzania
Round brilliant rhodolite, 16.27 cts, 15.5 mm, Tanzania. © The Gem Trader. Used with permission.

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Rhodolite Garnet Value

matched rhodolites - Tanzania
Matched rhodolites, 2.52 cts and 6.5 mm each, Tanzania. Photo © Joel E. Arem, PhD, FGA. Used with permission.

What is Rhodolite?

Although gemology texts have traditionally described rhodolites as one part almandine and two parts pyrope, garnets never have just two species in the mix. Small amounts of other garnet species, like grossular and spessartite, are always present in rhodolites. In fact, the higher the spessartite content, the lighter the rhodolite's color. Nevertheless, the purplish red hue distinguishes rhodolites, not the tone or saturation levels.

rhodolites
Rhodolites, Africa (2.33, 5.6). Photo © Joel E. Arem, PhD, FGA. Used with permission.

What Color are Rhodolite Garnets?

Rhodolites can range in color from purplish red to reddish, almost pure purple, and specimens that resemble amethyst in color have been found in North Carolina and India. However, most gem-quality rhodolites have a purplish red color.

rhodolites - matched pair, India
These matched oval, brilliant-cut rhodolites (6.56 cts, 10 x 8 mm, Orissa, India) have a deeper purple, less reddish color than most rhodolites. © The Gem Trader. Used with permission.

Not all purplish red garnets are rhodolites. A chemical analysis is required first to determine if a stone of that color is an almandine-pyrope mix.

Does Rhodolite Make a Good Jewelry Stone?

With no cleavage and a hardness of 7-7.5, rhodolites make durable stones for any type of jewelry setting. Rhodolite gemstones are affordable and make great options for engagement rings as well as January birthstone jewelry.

toi et moi rhodolite and ruby engagement ring
A sweet toi et moi setting nestles a pear-cut rhodolite garnet next to a ruby in a delicate, wavy, yellow gold engagement ring. Photo by CustomMade. Used with permission.

How to Identify Rhodolites

Rhodolites may have a strong to very strong reaction to magnetism. Although testing magnetic reactions isn't a basis for a positive gem identification, it can help make quick separations between gems of similar appearance.

Gem-quality rhodolites typically have no eye-visible inclusions and, therefore, usually receive the highest clarity grade for Type II gems, which includes all garnets.

Material from the North Pare Mountains, Tanzania, (N = 1.765; SG = 3.88) may show a color change, blue in daylight to purplish red in incandescent light, similar to alexandrite. Note that some color change garnets mined in the Morogoro region of Tanzania in 1988 were long considered rhodolites but were later revealed to be pyrope-spessartite, a more typical variety for color change garnets.

Rare examples of asterism (the "star stone" effect) may occur in rhodolites from East Africa.

star rhodolite
Star rhodolite, 61.84 cts, 23.53 x 18.86 x 12.26 mm, Africa. Photo courtesy of liveauctioneers.com and Kissing Auction.

Are There Synthetic Rhodolites?

Geologists have synthesized almandine-pyrope garnets via the hydrothermal method for research purposes. While some of this material may appear for sale as gemstones, this process is too expensive for regular commercial rhodolite production. With rhodolites of exceptional clarity, gemologists should look for telltale signs of hydrothermal growth, such as seed plates, under high magnification.

See the Synthetics section in the main garnet gem listing for more information on other lab-created garnet varieties.

You may find many so-called "synthetic rhodolite gems" for sale online. However, these products may actually be simulants, such as glass or colored cubic zirconia (CZ) lookalikes, rather than synthetics. In these cases, merchants use the term "synthetic" in the popular sense, meaning "not real," instead of the gemological sense of a lab-created analogue to a natural gem.

Are There Gem Treatments for Rhodolites?

Rhodolites typically receive no gem treatments. However, in an experiment from 1997, rhodolites turned orange and brownish red and even developed a metallic coating from heating.

Where are Rhodolites Found?

The principal sources for gem-quality rhodolites are Brazil, India, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

rhodolite cabochon - Madagascar
2.15-ct rhodolite cabochon, 8 x 6 x 3 mm, Madagascar. Photo courtesy of liveauctioneers.com and Jasper52.

Other notable gem sources include the following:

  • Afghanistan; Austria; Canada; China; Ethiopia; Kenya; Mozambique; Myanmar; Russia.
  • United States: Alaska; North Carolina (rhododendron red, lilac, pinkish).

Stone Sizes

The type locality for rhodolite (Cowee Creek, Macon County, North Carolina) usually produces very small stones, 1-2 carats and under. However, finds in Africa have yielded gems over 75 carats.

  • Smithsonian Institution (Washington, DC): 74.3, 22.1 (Tanzania); 16.5 (North Carolina).
rhodolites - North Carolina
Fragments of rhodolite crystals from Cowee, North Carolina. Photo by Ewm1np2b. Licensed under CC By-SA 3.0.

How to Care for Rhodolite Garnet Jewelry

Despite rhodolite's durability, take care when cleaning these gems. Although a rhodolite may have no eye-visible inclusions, smaller inclusions may burst due to extreme heat or ultrasound and fracture the gem. Avoid mechanical cleaning systems and stick to a soft brush, mild detergent, and warm water, instead. See our gemstone jewelry care guide for more recommendations.

rhodolite and diamond ring
14k gold ring with marquise-cut rhodolites, 0.60 ctw, and diamonds, 0.20 ctw, in a floral design. Photo courtesy of liveauctioneers.com and I&S Fine Auctions.

Joel E. Arem, Ph.D., FGA

Dr. Joel E. Arem has more than 60 years of experience in the world of gems and minerals. After obtaining his Ph.D. in Mineralogy from Harvard University, he has published numerous books that are still among the most widely used references and guidebooks on crystals, gems and minerals in the world.

Co-founder and President of numerous organizations, Dr. Arem has enjoyed a lifelong career in mineralogy and gemology. He has been a Smithsonian scientist and Curator, a consultant to many well-known companies and institutions, and a prolific author and speaker. Although his main activities have been as a gem cutter and dealer, his focus has always been education. joelarem.com


Donald Clark, CSM IMG

The late Donald Clark, CSM founded the International Gem Society in 1998. Donald started in the gem and jewelry industry in 1976. He received his formal gemology training from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Society of Gemcutters (ASG). The letters “CSM” after his name stood for Certified Supreme Master Gemcutter, a designation of Wykoff’s ASG which has often been referred to as the doctorate of gem cutting. The American Society of Gemcutters only had 54 people reach this level. Along with dozens of articles for leading trade magazines, Donald authored the book “Modern Faceting, the Easy Way.”


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