Tsavorite color chart: shades, names and which color is finest
By HeyGema™ · Updated
In short
Tsavorite is the green variety of grossular garnet. A vivid, strongly saturated bluish green to green is prized over yellowish green. A round 1 carat tsavorite measures about 6.4 mm.
- 4shades on the chart
- 6.4 mm1 carat, round
- 7 to 7.5hardness (Mohs)
Tsavorite colors
Tsavorite is the green variety of grossular garnet. Its color runs from bluish green to yellowish green, and lighter mint greens turn up in the same finds as richly colored stones.
- Bluish greenThe top color, close to a fine emerald green.
- Vivid greenA strong, pure green.
- Yellowish greenLess prized than the bluer greens.
- MintA light tone.
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 tsavorite color is finest
A vivid, strongly saturated bluish green to green is prized over yellowish green. The deepest, most emerald-like greens command the highest prices.
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 tsavorite color
- Cause of color
- Vanadium is the main cause of the green in most tsavorite, with a smaller part played by chromium.
- Treatments
- Tsavorite is rarely treated for color or clarity.
- Wear and care
- GIA places tsavorite among the harder garnets and calls it durable.
Tsavorite color and size
Tsavorite is rarer than red garnet. Stones under 1 carat are common and stones over 2 carats are rare, so the size you can find is often smaller than for other green gems. Carat is weight, not size. A round 1 carat tsavorite measures about 6.4 mm, against 6.5 mm for a diamond of the same weight. This table gives the face-up size of a well-cut tsavorite.
- 0.5 ct
- Round: 5.1 mm
- Oval: 6.3 x 4.3 mm
- Cushion: 4.4 x 4.4 mm
- 1 ct
- Round: 6.4 mm
- Oval: 7.9 x 5.5 mm
- Cushion: 5.6 x 5.6 mm
- 1.5 ct
- Round: 7.3 mm
- Oval: 9.1 x 6.2 mm
- Cushion: 6.4 x 6.4 mm
- 2 ct
- Round: 8.1 mm
- Oval: 10.0 x 6.9 mm
- Cushion: 7.0 x 7.0 mm
- 3 ct
- Round: 9.2 mm
- Oval: 11.4 x 7.9 mm
- Cushion: 8.0 x 8.0 mm
See the full tsavorite size chart for every shape, or use the carat to mm calculator for any weight.
Tsavorite properties
- Hardness (Mohs)
- Value: 7 to 7.5
- Refractive index
- Value: 1.740
- Specific gravity
- Value: 3.60 to 3.62
A green grossular garnet. Dense, so it faces up a little smaller than a diamond of the same weight.
How to compare tsavorite 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 tsavorite 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.