Photo Credit: Wilson-Brothers-Jewelry
Contemporary 18 Karat Gold and Bezel Set Merelani Mint Garnet Ring
Buy It Now Price: $649.99 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This splendid Merelani mint garnet ring is made from solid 18 karat yellow and white gold. It features good quality goldwork rendered in the Modernist style.
-This chunky ring weighs in at a substantial 10.6 grams or just over 1/3 of a troy ounce. It is set with a square-cut, 0.65 carat Merelani mint garnet, an unusual type of fancy green garnet.
-Merelani mint garnet is a green variety of Grossular garnet. It is closely related to Tsavorite garnet, which has a more intense, emerald-green color.
-Tsavorite and Merelani mint garnets have been rising in both popularity and price in recent years. This is because garnets have very desirable physical characteristics, like excellent hardness, luster and durability. Also, unlike many other gemstones, garnets are never subjected to artificial enhancements.
-The Merelani mint garnet mounted in this ring is of exceptional quality, with great color and few flaws. As of early 2017, I would estimate the wholesale value of the gemstone alone to be $200 per carat, or about $130 for the stone.
-The stunning contrast between the polished yellow gold band, the white gold bezel and the grass-green Merelani mint garnet is typical of high quality Modernist jewelry.
-The estimated intrinsic value of the ring is approximately $444. This includes $314 for the value of the gold with a spot price of $1,240 and $130 for the Merelani mint garnet.
-With a price of only $650, I believe this Merelani mint garnet ring is a good value. The seller is only asking $200 over the intrinsic value of the ring, which is a modest premium for such a well designed and executed piece of investment grade jewelry.
Cons:
-The Merelani mint garnet, although very nice, would be much more desirable if it were larger in size. 0.65 carats is a modest size for a fancy garnet. The stone would also be more valuable if its color were more intense, pushing it into the Tsavorite garnet classification.
-This ring isn’t very old. It is an estate, or pre-owned, piece, and may be anywhere from just a few years old to perhaps 25 years old. You’ll be waiting a while for this ring to age into the “antique” category.
–Investment grade jewelry has become universally more expensive over the past decade. It used to be that I could find good pieces for $200 or $300 each. Now I am lucky to find anything worthwhile below $500. This ring, at $650, is a natural consequence of those rising prices and increased scarcity.
