Garnet
Garnet is a vibrant natural gemstone family known for its known for its exceptional brilliance and durability. The name comes from the latin "granatum", meaning pomegranate, because classic red garnets look like the fruit’s seeds. Garnet appears in many colors like deep red, raspberry, pink, orange, or even green.
Where Garnet comes from?
Garnet is found around the world in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Different regions can produce different shades (for example, vivid greens, bright oranges, or classic reds). Each stone is natural, so small variations in color and clarity are normal.
Garnet minerals are found all over the world in different types of rocks, including those:
- changed by heat and pressure (metamorphic),
- formed from cooled magma (igneous), and
- made from particles that settle and compact together (sedimentary).
Garnets often form when rocks with a lot of aluminum, like shale, get very hot and pressed. This process can make new kinds of rocks like schist or gneiss. Garnets are also seen in areas where the Earth's crust has changed due to heat (contact metamorphism), in magma below the ground, in lava on the surface, from big volcanic eruptions, and in soil and sand that come from garnet rocks breaking down over time.
What is Garnet Made Of?
Garnet is not one mineral. It is a group of silicate minerals. Common varieties include almandine, pyrope, grossular (tsavorite), spessartine, and andradite (demantoid). Many gem garnets are natural mixes of these types, which is why colors and properties can vary.
Example: Mozambique garnet is usually a mix of pyrope and almandine (Pyrope = Mg3Al2(SiO4)3, Almandine = Fe3Al2(SiO4)3) and is known for deep red tones.
How hard is Garnet?
The Garnet is not just pretty but also strong and long-lasting because it's a very hard stone, with a hardness rating of 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale (measures how easily a gem can be scratched).
How light passes through Garnet?
Garnet has a vitreous (glassy) shine and strong brilliance. Its typical refractive index is between 1.72 – 1.94 (varies by type). This number helps us understand how light bends when it passes through the gemstone, affecting how it looks to us.
What birth month is Garnet?
Garnet is the traditional birthstone for January and the stone that celebrates the 2nd anniversary of marriage.
What are the star signs and special meanings connected to Garnet?
Garnet is often seen as a powerful symbol of love. It's great for people born under the zodiac signs of Capricorns and Aquarius. These stones shine very brightly because they bend light well. People have believed that garnets can help with feeling sad, stop bad dreams, and help with liver problems and bleeding.