MALAYA

Malaya garnet is another  popular mixed variety, ranges from orange to gold and is mined in Tanzania and Kenya. Miners working the stream gravels nearly a decade ago beleived that they have found  a deposit of Spessartite garnet, when they saw these lovely orange and beige colored stones. But it  turned out that it was a mixture of different garnet species. When the true identity was determined, they gave this new and unique gems the name "Malaya", which, in Swahili, means "deceiver". This name has been used by the gemstone trade ever since.

The color of Malaya garnet ranges from dark orange to beige-orange, and (rarely) a peachy-cinnamon color that is one of the loveliest and most unusual in the gem kingdom. Stones over 5 carats are rare, and the largest Malays on record are under 100 carats. Lighter tones are considered more desirable, and true pinks are among the rarest of all garnets, regardless of hue.