Tsavorite or tsavolite is a variety of the

garnet Garnets () are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition. The different ...

group species grossular, a

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar ...

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

garnet with the formula Ca₃ Al₂ Si₃ O₁₂.

Gemological Institute of America The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is a nonprofit institute based in Carlsbad, California. It is dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts. Founded in 1931, GIA's mission is to protect buyers and se ...

, ''GIA Gem Reference Guide'' 1995, Trace amounts of

vanadium Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery-grey, malleable transition metal. The elemental metal is rarely found in nature, but once isolated artificially, the formation of an oxide layer ( pass ...

chromium Chromium is a chemical element with the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in group 6. It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal. Chromium metal is valued for its high corrosion resistance and hard ...

provide the green color. In 1967, British gem prospector and geologist

Campbell R. Bridges Campbell R. Bridges (1937 – 11 August 2009) was a Scottish-born Kenyan gemologist. Bridges, originally from Scotland, lived in Kenya with his family and regularly mined for rare gemstones with his son Bruce Bridges. The discovery of the green ...

discovered a deposit of green grossular in the mountains of Simanjiro District of

Manyara Region Manyara Region (''Mkoa wa Manyara'' in Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The regional capital is the town of Babati. According to the 2012 national census, the region had a population of 1,425,131, which was lower than th ...

of north-east

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

Idar-Oberstein
Tsavorite
International Colored Gemstone Association, accessed online January 24, 2007 in a place called Lemshuko, away from Komolo, the first village. The specimens he found were of very intense color and of high transparency. The find interested the gem trade, and attempts were made to export the stones, but the Tanzanian government did not provide permits. Believing that the deposit was a part of a larger geological structure extending possibly into

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, Bridges began prospecting in that nation. He was successful a second time in 1971, when he found the mineral variety there, and was granted a permit to mine the deposit. The gemstone was known only to mineral specialists until 1974, when

Tiffany and Co Tiffany & Co. (colloquially known as Tiffany's) is a high-end luxury jewelry and specialty retailer, headquartered on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. It sells jewelry, sterling silver, porcelain, crystal, stationery, fragrances, water bottles, watc ...

launched a marketing campaign which brought broader recognition of the stone. Bridges was murdered in 2009 when a mob attacked him and his son on their property in

Tsavo East National Park Tsavo East National Park is one of the oldest and largest parks in Kenya at 13,747 square kilometres. Situated in a semi-arid area previously known as the Taru Desert it opened in April 1948, and is located near the town of Voi in the Taita- ...

. It is believed that the attack was connected to a three-year dispute over access and control of Bridges' gemstone mines.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8198630.stm BBC News 13 August 2009 Mob kills UK gems expert in Kenya The name ''tsavorite'' was proposed by Tiffany and Co president Henry Platt in honor of Tsavo East National Park in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

. Apart from the source locality and was first discovered in Manyara,

, it is also found in

Toliara Toliara (also known as ''Toliary'', ; formerly ''Tuléar'') is a city in Madagascar. It is the capital of the Atsimo-Andrefana region, located 936 km southwest of national capital Antananarivo. The current spelling of the name was adopted ...

(Tuléar) Province,

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Afric ...

. Small deposits of gem grade material have been found in Pakistan and Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. No other occurrences of gem material have yet been discovered.Tsavorite Garnet Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
International Gem Society - Tsavorite Garnet Value, Price, and Jewelry Information - Accessed online February 18th, 2016 Rare in gem-quality over several carats (1 carat = 200 mg), tsavorite has been found in larger sizes. In late 2006, a crystal was discovered. It yielded an oval mixed-cut 325 carat (65 g) stone, one of the largest, if not ''the'' largest, faceted tsavorites in the world. A crystal that yielded a oval mixed-cut gem was also uncovered in early 2006.Giant size top color clean tsavorite discovered in East Africa
Multicolour Gems Ltd, - Giant size top color clean tsavorite discovered in East Africa - Accessed online December 7th, 2009 Tsavorite formed in a Neoproterozoic metamorphic event which involved extensive folding and refolding of rock. This resulted in a wide range of inclusions forming within most Tsavorite crystals. These inclusions are strong identifying features in Tsavorite.Common and Uncommon Inclusions Found in Tsavorite
Lapigems Ltd, - Common and Uncommon Inclusions Found in Tsavorite - Accessed online November 2nd, 2016

References

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20080610182036/http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/tsavorite.html The ICA's tsavorite information page.

(Campbell R. Bridges)

- Daily Telegraph obituary

(Tsavorite Garnets Used in Celtic Jewelry) {{Gemstone Calcium minerals Aluminium minerals Garnet gemstones