idaho star garnet question (live, prices, best)

[boiseidaho]

going to the gem/rock show soon but have some questions about idaho star garnets before i arrive at the show.

we see the prices on ebay at a few dollars a carat for finished stones of various sizes and listed as idaho star garnets (indian star garnets are even cheaper)

yet in talking with some rock sellers (not jewelry stores) they say the highest quality ones sell for $100 to $200 a carat.

not having much expertise in what to look at, both stones look pretty similiar to wife and i.

how do we discern the difference and is there really that much difference?

many thanks

[banjomike]

Star garnets are in the same gemstone category as star rubies and sapphires, but are much more rare. They are all a dark plum color. Garnet is a mineral crystal, and the stars come from minute intrusions of another component of garnet which causes the star points to align differently, producing the star's shine within the darker colored body of the stone.

A typical star has 4 points. A rarer star has 6 points, and these cost more. the larger the stone, the larger the star. The Idaho garnet is a deeper plum color, which makes the star more striking than the Indian stone. The best ones are a very dark deep purple which is iridescent itself, and the star is very slivery and bright.

They are an eye-catching gemstone, as the star moves around inside the gem, depending on where the strongest source of light is. The color looks extremely good in a gold, silver or platinum mount equally well, which also adds to their desirability.

[boiseidaho]

many thanks for your helpful post,

all the best