I’m currently involved in an enormous re-stock of the shop. Items that have been out of stock for a while are finally coming back in, and everything in huge quantity so it should be, oh, at least another month or two before I run out again! First up; almandine garnet. I’m just changing over all my descriptions in line with the new GIA policy so I will now be referring to it as almandine, not almandite. This is Mozambique garnet, deep red and vibrant. Almandine can be very dark, especially in the larger sizes; in fact it has long been a practice to hollow out cabochons to bring out their intensity of colour. I have 6mm cabochons, and 4mm, 5mm and 8mm rose cuts and even the 8mm has a clear red appearance, not black. The 4mm is at $1.35 per stone and the 5mm is $2.65 per stone. The price of this kind of garnet for larger sizes has sky-rocketed recently so take a deep breath and sit down; the 8mm is $26 per stone. But as you see from the pictures, it is simply beautiful, with none of the rustiness that can mar almandine. A gemstone with an inner fire, its good hardness and toughness makes it a versatile stone that can safely be used in all kinds of jewellery.