Untreated African Demantoid Garnet 4.38 (PDE438)

4.38 Carat
Ivy Green
Medium Dark 75
Lightly Included

GRADING REPORT PDE438

• Identification: Natural Unheated & Untreated Demantoid Garnet
• Carat: 4.38
• Shape: Pear
• Measures: 11.58x9.96x5.61 (millimeter)
• Color Grade: Good
• Tone: MD75
• Color Zoning: Faint
• Clarity: Lightly Included
• Cutting Grade: Very Good
• Brilliancy: 75%
• Depth: 56%
• Origin: Namibia
• Treatment: None

Certificate No: DSEF 080461

Overall Grade: Very Good

Comment: To my memory the biggest demantoid in our history and an extremely rare size in African material (though there are big fat Russians with huge price-tags-0000s in Monaco). As always in Namibian stones, the camera overly stresses the yellowish side but IRL the gem is primarily green, less a metallic green but a pleasing ivy or olive green with a little brown and yellow. Rather than simply photo-shopping green into our Demantoids, we ask for your attention and imagination: The more intense chromium green shows under a daylight-torch (see 'more images' and in handshot) and this is, at times, closer to the hue the eye perceives (e.g. in open sunlight) but the camera does not. Aside from being over four carats this gem is not cut deep, only 56%, which give us an even bigger face and fortunately, thanks to the cutter, there is no window at all, very rare at 56% depth, indeed. Demantoid's main attraction is the diamond-like sparkle in all rainbow colors (a.k.a. dispersion), as caught in the close-up below. DSEF certified as 'Demantoid' not 'Andratite Garnet', which is proof of enough chromium-based green (the problem in the photos as well). BTW: More yellow andratites-grossular mixtures are a great alternative for Demantoids, if you want the same adamantine sparkle but don't care much about green. With almost 12x10mm this is an opportunity to create a seriously sized pendant with a seriously precious gemstone. Perhaps the biggest demantoid around. Seeing a demantoid's rainbow sparkle means never to forget it. No inclusions are visible to the eye (lens only). Value in such a jumbo-gem. Great shape for a charming pendant with tons of brilliancy from a warm earthly green.