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High quality hessonite is sometimes mistaken for hyacinth, a prized orange-y zircon. The hessonite of Sri Lanka (known as "ratnagomeda") is generally found as alluvial gem gravel in pebble form in river beds.
Exclusive to hessonite, among the garnet group, its appearance displays a 'wave effect,' sometimes described as a 'roiled' appearance like that of water mixed with oil. |
cinnamon stone of ceylon
gold and hessonite garnet ring, ca. 1600 A handsome stone found in translucent shades of golden orange and cinnamon brown with swirls of inclusions, hessonite is sometimes described as having a honey-like appearance.
Still mined in Sri Lanka, as well as several other countries in the world, hessonite is also found in the US. In California, one of the finest quality deposits of hessonite is near Indian Head Hill in San Diego County. There's also a high quality deposit near Dos Cabezas.
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- abalone
- almandine garnet
- amber
- amethyst
- ametrine
- apatite
- aquamarine
- boulder opal
- calcite
- carnelian
- chalcedony
- chrysoprase
- cinnabar
- citrine
- coral
- druse
- fire opal
- fluorite
- fossilized shell
- garnet
- green garnet
- hematite
- hessonite
- iolite
- jasper
- labradorite
- lapis lazuli
- malachite
- milky quartz
- moldavite
- moonstone
- mother-of-pearl
- obsidian
- onyx
- opal-common
- paua
- peridot
- peruvian opal
- prehnite
- pyrite
- quartz
- rose quartz
- rutilated quartz
- serpentine
- shells
- smoky quartz
- tanzanite
- tourmalinated quartz





High quality hessonite is sometimes mistaken for hyacinth, a prized orange-y zircon.