Competes with emerald on colour. Demolishes it on brilliance and durability.
Tsavorite is a green grossular garnet coloured by vanadium and chromium — the same elements that colour emerald. But where emerald is routinely included, frequently treated, and relatively soft, tsavorite is typically clean, untreated, and tougher. It remains significantly undervalued relative to its optical properties.
Tsavorite was discovered in 1967 by Scottish geologist Campbell Bridges in Tanzania — the same year tanzanite was found 200km away. Bridges later discovered further deposits in Kenya near the Tsavo National Park, whose name Henry Platt of Tiffany & Co. used to christen the gem. Bridges spent decades developing Kenyan deposits under extremely difficult conditions, including repeated armed attacks. He was murdered at his mine in 2009. Every tsavorite carries some of that story.
Tsavorite offers a compelling design proposition: vivid green colour, excellent brilliance, no treatment needed, superior durability to emerald. For a house that values material honesty, a tsavorite is a more straightforward stone to champion than a treated emerald. The brilliance — higher than emerald due to garnet's superior refractive index — rewards open, light-permitting settings.
Seek vivid, saturated green without yellow or brown overtones. Deep forest green and bright grass green are both desirable depending on design intent. Stones above two carats with good colour are disproportionately valuable — supply drops sharply above that threshold. Unlike emerald, tsavorite requires no treatment and should be purchased clean.
From the Métamorphism collection
Tsavorite is the great alternative to emerald
I source stones individually and can discuss what's currently available. Every piece is designed around the specific gem.
Make an Enquiry