Garnet color chart: shades, names and which color is finest

By HeyGema™ · Updated November 5, 2026

In short

Garnet is a family of minerals, not one stone. Color is the most important quality factor, and there is no standard garnet grading scale. A round 1 carat garnet measures about 6.2 mm.

11shades on the chart
6.2 mm1 carat, round
6.5 to 7.5hardness (Mohs)

Garnet colors

Garnet is a family of minerals, not one stone. Pyrope and almandine run from purple to orangy red, spessartine is orange, grossular goes from colorless through yellow and orange to vivid green, and andradite runs from yellow to green.

AlmandineA deep, slightly purplish red.
PyropeRed.
RhodoliteA purplish-red blend of pyrope and almandine.
SpessartineOrange. Mandarin garnet is an orange spessartine.
HessoniteA grossular garnet in the orange range. Visible inclusions are common.
DemantoidA vivid green andradite with a yellow component. Its horsetail inclusions can add value.
TsavoriteA green grossular, from bluish green to yellowish green.
Mali garnetA yellow-green grossular-andradite from Mali.
MalayaA trade name for pyrope-spessartine in pinkish orange and related colors, first found in Tanzania's Umba Valley.
Color change, daylightThe bluish green phase of a color-change garnet.
Color change, incandescentThe purple phase of the same stone.

The swatches are illustrations picked to match the color names. Screens and light change how color looks, and a cut stone changes with the light, so judge a stone in person or from a daylight photo.

Which garnet color is finest

Color is the most important quality factor, and there is no standard garnet grading scale. Dealers use their own labels such as AAA, AA and A, which do not mean the same thing from one seller to the next. Tsavorite and demantoid are the most valued garnets, with vivid greens that can rival fine emerald.

How gemologists describe color

Gemologists describe the color of a stone with hue, tone and saturation, and look at the three together. For colored stones they also look at how evenly the color is spread.

Hue: The color you would name, such as blue, green or red, or a blend such as bluish green.
Tone: How light or dark that color looks, from pale to very dark.
Saturation: How strong or pure the color looks, from dull (grayish or brownish) to vivid.
Evenness: How evenly the color is spread through the stone. Color zoning is uneven color, such as bands or patches you can see.

Colored stones have no single color scale like the D to Z scale for diamonds, so sellers use their own words. Ask for a daylight photo and for the size in mm as well as the carat weight.

What affects garnet color

Treatments: Most garnets are not treated. Rarely, some are fracture filled and need care.
Wear and care: Garnet ranges from hard to fairly hard depending on the species. Almandine, pyrope, spessartine and tsavorite are on the harder side, and demantoid is a little softer.

Garnet color and size

Demantoid and tsavorite are usually small, so their value rises steeply with size. Carat is weight, not size. A round 1 carat garnet measures about 6.2 mm, against 6.5 mm for a diamond of the same weight. This table gives the face-up size of a well-cut garnet.

1 ct: Round: 6.2 mm; Oval: 7.7 x 5.3 mm; Cushion: 5.4 x 5.4 mm

2 ct: Round: 7.9 mm; Oval: 9.7 x 6.7 mm; Cushion: 6.8 x 6.8 mm

3 ct: Round: 9.0 mm; Oval: 11.2 x 7.7 mm; Cushion: 7.8 x 7.8 mm

5 ct: Round: 10.7 mm; Oval: 13.2 x 9.1 mm; Cushion: 9.3 x 9.3 mm

10 ct: Round: 13.4 mm; Oval: 16.7 x 11.5 mm; Cushion: 11.7 x 11.7 mm

Weight	Round	Oval	Cushion
1 ct	6.2 mm	7.7 x 5.3 mm	5.4 x 5.4 mm
2 ct	7.9 mm	9.7 x 6.7 mm	6.8 x 6.8 mm
3 ct	9.0 mm	11.2 x 7.7 mm	7.8 x 7.8 mm
5 ct	10.7 mm	13.2 x 9.1 mm	9.3 x 9.3 mm
10 ct	13.4 mm	16.7 x 11.5 mm	11.7 x 11.7 mm

See the full garnet size chart for every shape, or use the carat to mm calculator for any weight.

Garnet properties

Hardness (Mohs): Value: 6.5 to 7.5

Refractive index: Value: 1.714 to 1.888

Specific gravity: Value: 3.6 to 4.3

Property	Value
Hardness (Mohs)	6.5 to 7.5
Refractive index	1.714 to 1.888
Specific gravity	3.6 to 4.3

A family of minerals. Density depends on the kind: pyrope 3.78, rhodolite about 3.84, almandine 4.05, spessartine 4.15. We use 3.9.

How to compare garnet stones

Look at each stone in daylight and under indoor light. Color shifts with the light.
Ask for the size in mm as well as the carat weight. A garnet of the same weight can differ in size by shape and cut.
Ask whether the color is natural or treated, and ask for the answer in writing.
For a stone that matters, ask for an independent lab report.

Designing with a colored stone? HeyGema lets you choose the stone shade and renders your design with it.

Questions

Almost every color. Pyrope and almandine run from purple to orangy red, spessartine is orange, grossular goes from colorless through yellow and orange to green, and andradite runs from yellow to green.

Tsavorite (green grossular) and demantoid (green andradite) are the most valued garnets, and both are usually small.

Yes. They are mostly pyrope-spessartine blends that go from blue or bluish green in daylight to purple or purple-red under incandescent light. GIA has also reported chrome grossular from Ethiopia with a color change.

A well-cut round garnet of 1 carat is about 6.2 mm across (0.25 in). The table above gives the size of other shapes and weights.

No. They are illustrations picked to match the color names. Screens differ, and a cut stone changes with the light, so judge a stone in person or from a daylight photo.