The facts
What colour-change garnet actually is
Colour-change garnet is classified as pyrope–spessartine garnet, with the composition (Mg,Mn)₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃. It crystallises in the cubic system.
Colour comes from vanadium and chromium; shifts between daylight and incandescent light, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.74–1.76. Specific gravity around 3.80–3.95. Cleavage: none. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where colour-change garnet comes from
Colour-change garnet is produced at Bekily, Madagascar, Tanzania and Sri Lanka.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
Is colour-change garnet treated?
None.
That makes disclosure simple: there is nothing to declare. It also means a seller offering a "treated" version of this material is offering something else.
What colour-change garnet is confused with
In the trade colour-change garnet is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Alexandrite or Colour-change sapphire.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.74–1.76 and specific gravity 3.80–3.95 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What colour-change garnet is used for
Demand for colour-change garnet comes from mineral collecting and jewellery, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen or by the carat.
Durability and care
Hardness 7–7.5; cleavage none. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
With no cleavage plane to worry about, the practical limit is abrasion rather than breakage, and it takes daily wear well.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What colour-change garnet costs
As a guide, colour-change garnet trades around $200–3,000/ct.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is colour-change garnet treated?
None.
Where does colour-change garnet come from?
Bekily, Madagascar, Tanzania and Sri Lanka. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is colour-change garnet hard enough to wear every day?
Yes. At 7–7.5 on the Mohs scale with no cleavage plane, it handles daily wear well. The practical limit is gradual abrasion rather than chipping.
How much does colour-change garnet cost?
Indicatively $200–3,000/ct. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is colour-change garnet confused with?
Most often Alexandrite and Colour-change sapphire. A refractive index of 1.74–1.76 and a specific gravity near 3.80–3.95 separate it quickly.
Related stones
Looking for colour-change garnet?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about colour-change garnet