An interesting new commercial chapter for a distinctly American gemstone.
Gem Note: Characterisation of Almandine from Idaho, USA, Journal of Gemmology 2026, Vol 40 (3): 219-221
Author: Charles Evans FGA DGA
Idaho’s garnet deposits are well documented. Garnet has been recovered there for more than a century, and star garnet is even the official State Gem.
Thanks to Eric and Tod Braunwart of Columbia Gem House, I had the unusual opportunity to examine a remarkably large selection: 329 faceted garnets, representing 144 carats of calibrated material from the Emerald Creek area. These were well-faceted gemstones with great color and not the overly dark material I had previously associated with the source. Bear and Cara Williams of Stone Group Laboratories also opened their extensive library of reference spectra, allowing comparison with garnets from different localities in Idaho and were most generous in lending their time to this paper.
Gem Note on Coloured Stones featured in the Journal of Gemmology, Volume 40, No.3, 2026.
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