Gemstones have gathered a lot of attention over the past. Some treasure them for their alluring color while others value them for their impeccable benefits. No matter what the reason might be, gemstones have become a favorite of many. If you too are a fan of gemstones then this read would be highly beneficial for you. Among the many gemstones, a Ruby stone and a Garnet stone are the two most popular gemstones that have similar traits. To the untrained eye, they would look exactly the same but it would amaze you to know there are huge differences between the two.
Ruby also known as the “king of gemstones” is highly valued for its rarity, value, hardness, beauty, and mystical powers. Ruby gemstone, popularly known as Manik stone holds a valuable significance in the science of astrology. Ruby gemstone is one of the rarest and the most powerful gemstones. This is a gemstone of power and wisdom and is closely associated with the planet Sun. People born in the month of July can consider this as their birthstone and when worn accordingly it helps align its vibrations with the most vital chakras of the body – the Heart Chakra and the Base Chakra.
The term Garnet is derived from the Latin word “Granatus” which means “Pomegranate”. This truly signifies its rich red color. Garnet is a January birthstone that symbolizes strength and power. A red Garnet stone is closely associated with the Aquarius Zodiac sign and is ruled by the planet Saturn. People celebrating their 2nd anniversary can wear this gemstone too.
Factors That Determine The Differences Between A Manik
Stone and A Garnet Stone
There are a huge number of differences between the two that are important to know. Among the many, color, clarity, symbol, treatment, hardness, price and popularity are the ones that can help a layman understand how to distinguish between a Ruby stone and a Garnet stone.
Color: Both Ruby and Garnet come in shades of red, while Rubies are darker in comparison to Garnet. Garnets usually have a deeper tone. On the other hand, Rubies also have secondary colors like blue and purple while Garnets offer a slightly orange touch and are found in different shades like honey-yellow, reddish-orange, and brownish orange. It has to be observed that the brighter the Garnet color, the higher the quality of the gemstone.
Clarity: Clarity plays an important role in determining the difference between the two. For a Manik stone it is judged by the number, size, location, and angle of natural imperfections or inclusions. It is extremely rare to find a Ruby stone with see-through clarity or no inclusions visible to the naked eye. However, such clear rubies are undoubtedly expensive.
For Garnet, the location, volume, and nature of inclusions determine its price. Different forms of streaks, black spots, oily dots, and liquid inclusions degrade the quality of the semi-precious gemstone. However, it has to be considered a premium quality Garnet stone free from all such inclusions. Deeper in color and transparency are always higher on demand.
Symbol: Every gemstone symbolizes something or the other and there are different symbols for each one of them. Ruby being a precious gemstone is a symbol of power and wisdom while Garnet is a popular semi-precious gemstone denotes love and friendship.
Rarity: Fine-quality rubies are extremely rare and peach, green and clear garnets are hard to find.
Treatment: Treatment is defined as a process controlled by humans commonly done to improve the appearance, durability, and value of a gemstone. Especially for Rubies and Garnets, treatment plays a vital role as both include inclusions for the betterment of gemstone. Among the many, heat treatments, glass filling and flux are some of the common treatments practiced for Ruby. On the other hand, Red Garnet might rarely be treated by fracture filling.
Hardness: It has to be known that the hardness of a gemstone depicts its resistance to scratching. Ruby being one of the precious gemstones offers a hardness of 9 out of 10 Mohs scales while garnet being a semi-precious gemstone offers 7-7.5 out of 10 Mohs scales.
Price: Every gemstone has a price to offer, Ruby stone price per carat starts from ₹ 450 and trends up to ₹ 2 Lakh per carat ($12 to $1,600). However, an Old Burmese Ruby weighing ½ and 1 carat with dark red or deep pink color and very minimal inclusions can cost anywhere between ₹ 70,000 to 1,15,000 per carat ($1,300 to $1,600). Likewise, one carat, fine quality Mozambique Ruby can draw up to ₹ 90, 000 ($1,200 to $1,400). On the other hand, the price of Garnet stone starts from INR 1,000 ($ 15) per carat and goes up to INR 4,000 ($ 25) per carat.
Popularity: Gemstones are popular for a couple of reasons, some are known for their alluring color while some are valued for their impeccable benefits. A Manik stone is treasured for its alluring color as well as natural benefits while a Garnet stone is a popular and affordable alternative to rubies.
