DIAMOND

Almandine. This is the most common garnet, ranging in color from a dark red to a brownish red. It is probably the original carburcle. Adelaide rubies are almandine garnets. Pyrope. Pyrope is so similar to almandine that they are often confured, even by experts, because a gemological examination c - their chemical and other properties is needed to tell them apart.

Their low cost makes this kind of an examination impractical. The finest pyrope is blood red and resembles the ruby in color. It ma. be tinged with purple or brown. Cape rubies from South Africa apyrope.

Demantoid. Demantoid is green, shading to a yellow-greed The best emerald-green demantoid is expensive and rare. Rhodolite. Rhodolite is another rare garnet. It is purplish red color, shading to an amethyst-violet. Other types of garnet are sometimes called rhodolite, but the difference in price makes gemological and especially chemical testing a necessity to make sure the gem is rhodolite.

Other Garnets. Grossular garnet, which comes in many colorand spessartine, which is reddish brown to yellow-orange, are uncommon enough to be little known as far as jewelry is concernec
Garnet Substitutes. Ironically, for a gem that is as common and as inexpensive as the well-known garnets are, there are several substitutes. Synthetic corundum and spinel may be used instead of genuine garnets for birthstone jewelry. Beware of the intrinsic difference between "genuine" and "synthetic," if you buy garnets. Why not buy the genuine stone for about the same price?

IVORY

When we think of ivory, we think of ivory from the tusks of elephants. Whalebone and other bone are similar but nowhere as beautiful. Ivory has a spiral structure and a cross-hatched grain, with ,,)ft, flat finish that makes it look waxed when polished. The color an off-white or ivory. Bone, on the other hand, is white and drier looking.