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Grossular
Grossular garnets, or grossularites, get their name from the Latin word for gooseberries. Grossular garnets range from pale yellow-green to a brownish olive hue. Tsavorites are a specific type of grossular garnet from Tsavo National Park in Tanzania. All tsavorites are grossular garnets, but not all grossular garnets are tsavorite; the name describes only brilliant green garnets from Tsavo mines. Tsavorite rivals emerald in color and has a high refractive index that gives it sparkle.
Andradite
Andradite garnets contain iron in addition to the calcium that gives them their green hue. These gems have an unusual amount of sparkle thanks to a high refractive index that scatters light throughout the gem's heart. One variety of andradite, demantoid garnet, commands a high price. The stone has such brilliance that it resembles pale green diamond. Genuine demantoid garnet has "horsetail" inclusions of asbestos that fan out throughout the gem.
Uvarovite
Rare uvarovite is a deep blue-tinged green from chromium ions. Jewelers don't use uvarovite in jewelry, but the gem's rarity makes it a sought-after specimen for gem collectors. Its vivid, velvety green crystals are usually translucent to opaque rather than perfectly clear. Uvarovite often grows in small crystals within a substrate that, when polished, shows both the striking green of this rare garnet and the matrix surrounding it.
Hydrogrossular
Hydrogrossular garnet closely resembles jade. Sculptors can carve the translucent green stone just as they would a piece of jade, but hydrogrossular garnet is a harder and more durable substance. Though not technically a gem, this mineral form of garnet has its own lustrous appeal for artists who want a more economical alternative to costly nephrite jade.