How to Buy Garnets
Garnet, the birth stone of the month of January is one of the most sought after gemstones and has a brilliant deep red shine that can be compared to the ruby red seeds of a ripe pomegranate. This is also a stone that can be worn with your favorite evening gown or during the day time to add a touch of class to a pair of designer jeans. There can be no woman on earth who will not be thrilled by a gift of a garnet necklace or even a pair of garnet earnings because they have so much seductive powers of their own. Just be sure when you are buying garnets that you are getting the genuine quality for your money.
When you know how to buy garnets, you can avoid most of the pitfalls that most buyers are faced with due to unscrupulous jewelers who try to pass off fake stones as genuine. Always buy your gemstones from a reputed jeweler most of whom you can find online. Buying garnets online can be very convenient because you can always compare designs and prices before deciding which piece of jewelry to buy. You will not, of course, be able to see for yourself the true magnificence of the stone, but you can always make the jeweler understand that if you are not happy with your purchase, you will be returning it. In order to do this however, the store concerned must have a return policy which is very important when you are buying costly jewelry online.
Even garnets are categorized according to colors which decide the price; with the most affordable garnet being pyrope, which is also the most popular of all the red garnets. The most expensive garnets are the ones that have a peachy-orange color, known as umbalite, and the beautiful green garnets that are called demantoid. Always look for the cut, clarity, carats and cost which is the cardinal rule for gemstone shopping and in the case of garnets, the number of carats can go up to 10 with a stone of great quality having perfect clarity. The exception to the rule is the green garnets which come with inclusions.
Like most gem stones, garnets are also heat treated to enhance their color which any reputable jeweler will inform you of before purchase. You don’t have to worry about this practice because it does not lessen the value of the stone. When buying garnets, don’t buy the first necklace or bracelet you see. Visit as many jewelers as possible–which is not a problem at all if you’re doing your shopping on the internet. Compare designs and prices and be ready with price quotes from other jewelry stores to be able to negotiate for something you really want. Most jewelers will be willing to do so if you can prove that it is possible for you to buy the same or comparable garnet jewelry from another store for a lesser price.
Even though most jewelry stores ensure the quality of their gem stones before they put them out on sale, it is always better to get a second opinion before you buy a really expensive garnet which could have inclusions and flaws which you might not be able to recognize. These flaws may lessen the value of the stone to a great extent.