Buying Garnets in Prague
 

Does anyone have tips for where to find quality garnets in Prague? I'm also trying to find something different - I've heard Prague has beautiful Amber jewelry, but is there anything else (a new shop or different gemstone) that I should be aware of?

Thanks!

A friend said she found the best garnet jewelry in Karlovy Vary but it may just have been the ease of shopping in a smaller place.

Hope this site gives you some of the information:
http//www.granat.eu/en/

The main store run by the govt, or at least some relationship, is pretty good (Granat Turnov) -- it's on Dlouha as I recall, just a couple blocks north of Old Town square. http://www.granat.eu/cs/

There is also a good one just near the square at 4, Celetna, just start walking up the street from the square and it's on your right (I think Cesky Granat is the name). But really, there are shops all over selling it, just buy what you like.

Prague is known for amber and garnets, there is no other gemstone I know of that they are known for. Of course they are known for crystal, and you can get good deals on that.

We have bought amber and garnets in Prague; this past August we bought both at Cesky Granat, which Christina mentions. On another visit, i bought garnet at a jewelry store on Nerudova St. I envy you! I love Prague!!!

They also have a pretty good technique for producing fake Damascene steel, given the effort involved the prices are reasonable.

The revolution was developed in the tea shops of Prague (rather than the more usual beer halls) and it is worth having a visit to one, just don't laugh like we did at the "principles of tea making" that were carefully explained to us. Coming from a country that swims in tea the rules seemed a little tight...

It may have been in Cesky Krumlov that we found a greenish semi-precious gemstone created by the crash of a meteorite in Czech Republic. But if you ask around in Prague, you may be able to find it. It's unique in the world to my understanding.

We just shopped around a lot near Old Town Square - to see who had the best designs.

Costs were very reasonable - but we wanted something special for my mom - since garnet is her birthstone. And we ended up with a beautiful necklace of intricate garnet beads interspersed with gold ones.

The greenish stone is Moldavite and you can get it in Prague - we did. We also found some in the US on the internet - it is a very nice stone, and yes, it is only found around that area. Because of its outer space origins, people give it healing and magical qualities. It is roughly the same price as garnets.

Be careful buying amber. Much is not what it seems. There is much amber around that is really amber dust and chips from making other pieces that have been gathered, fused and shaped. If it is really cheap that is what it most likely is, but there is also fused amber being passed off as the original stuff. Those beautiful amber eggs that are ubiquitous have usually been fused and molded.