Rhodolite

There are many reasons Rhodolite made such a big splash -- the most obvious, of course , being the uncanny resemblance of it's color of grape juice. "We're not talking the usual pinkish or brownish-red garnet color , but pure purple".  This is the color that command full attention the moment you notice it.

To those lucky enough to see some of the world's first Rhodolite garnets , discovered in Macon County, North Carolina, at the tail end of the 19th century , this maverick mixture of almandine and pyrope earned immediate raves as much for it's failings as it's strengths. " The color is pale rose-red inclining to purple like that of certain roses and rhododendrons, hence the name Rhodolite," it lacks the depth and intensity of color  which makes garnets, as a rule , such dark looking stones. The peculiarly beautiful rose tint as Rhodolite combined with it's transparency and brilliance renders it an even more striking object by candlelight than by daylight ."
 

In the century since this momentous but long played-out-garnet find, the gem world has pined for a subsequent source  of Rhodolite with color as unforgettable . Ceylon , India , and several African countries have obliged from time to time , but the glories of these deposits were invariably small in size .Larger stones lacked the memorably
light and and lively pinkish-red and purple hues of America's Rhodolites ". Once over 5 carats Rhodolites tend to be over lack and unattractive.