 |
Malaia garnet is a hardy gemstone and it is usually safe to have it cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner but NEVER use a steam cleaner. As with other colored gems, the safest way to clean it is with warm soapy water and a toothbrush. Do not use hydrifluoric acid whilst wearing your malaia as it is affected by this chemical.
GEM SPECIES : GARNET
REFRACTIVE INDEX : 1.76
HARDNESS MOHS SCALE : 7 TO 7.5
TOUGHNESS : GOOD
STABILITY TO LIGHT : STABLE
BIRTHSTONE : JANUARY, AQUARIUS
|
|
 |
A Mineral Reflection of African Savannah
Malaia garnet (sometimes spelt "Malaya") is a variety of spessartine and pyrope garnets. In this regard it is a rare "hybrid" of the 2 garnets. The combination of the 2 creates a very special orange pink color often referred to as imperial orange pink.
This fantastic gemstone was discovered fairly recently by miners in Tanzania who were mining Rhodolite garnet at the time. Suddenly, they hit a vein of the most unusual colored stone and although it was recognised as a garnet due to its distinctive crystal structure, none of the miners had ever seen it before. Indeed, the world had never seen it before.
Knowing it to be of the garnet family but realizing it was a misfit, the miners named it Malaia; grammatically meaning "out of the family" in their native Swahili. This name was adopted by the trade and has become official.
It is perhaps appropriate that the name has remained a Swahili one, as this rare and beautiful imperial orange pink gemstone has never been discovered in any other part of the world and remains uniquely and exclusively an East African phenomenon which is universally sought after by collectors, dealers and jewellers internationally..
Lapigems Gem Company has been involved with the purchase and cutting of rough malaia garnet for over 15 years. We have had the honor of cutting some of the finest and largest stones to have come out of the mines. See our Private Malaia Garnet Collection
See our Private Malaia Garnet Gem Stone Collection!
|
|
Malaia garnet is a Type 2 gemstone so whilst it is generally a clean gem in terms of clarity small and minute inclusions such as tiny crystals, clouds and needles do not impact the clarity grade and even very high quality Malaias may contain these. Look for a proportional cut, sharp facet edges and a bright appearance. Malaia garnet is one of the gems that takes a subadamantine luster - this means it polishes to a high sheen and this adds to its brightness and beauty.
|
