Malaya Garnet

There is no single mineral called "garnet", but rather a family of 6 distinct mineral species. Three members of this family occur chiefly in shades of orange and red. But one garnet species grossular - is found in a wide range of hues ranging from colorless to shades of pink, orange, yellow and green. These rare and beautiful gemstones are found at only a few localities on earth, and seldom in large sizes. One of the principal occurrences is in the Umba River Valley, in northern Tanzania.

Colorless, pink and yellow grossulars are, if free of internal imperfections, virtually nonexistent in sizes over 5 carats. However, gem diggers working the stream gravels nearly a decade ago found lovely orange and beige colored garnets in much larger pieces. The color led these miners to believe that they had found, not grossular, but a completely different garnet species. When the true identity was determined, they gave this new and unique material the name "malaya", which, in Swahili, means "deceiver". This name has been used by the gemstone trade ever since.

The color of malaya ranges from dark orange to beige-orange, and (rarely) a peachy-cinnamon color that is one of the loveliest and most unusual in the gem kingdom. Stones over 5 carats are rare, and the largest malayas on record are under 100 carats. Lighter tones are considered more desirable, and true pinks are among the rarest of all garnets, regardless of hue. Malaya has only been on the market for a few years, but its growing popularity, rarity, and recognition make it a suitable choice for aggressive gemstone portfolios.