 The second anniversary gemstone, the birthstone for January, and astrological gemstone for sun sign Aquarius, Garnet traces the origins of its name to Granatum in Latin, (meaning seed like), a reference to pomegranate seeds, which the gemstone garnet resembles.
Quite the popular gemstone for Victorian pieces, recent discoveries of garnets have spurred a demand that was slow earlier. Bohemian garnets were the most prized ones, as the earliest famous garnets hailed from the region of Bohemia, now Czechoslovakia. Garnets now known spawn a number of varieties and each has a name ascribed to it.
January Birthdtone, Garnet is also the 2nd and 18th anniversary gemstone.
Garnet’s hardness on the Mohs scale of 7 to 7.5 makes for great durability. Red is the color most often associated with garnets, but garnet also exists in various shades of green, yellow, orange and some very earthy browns. One color that is positively not found in garnets is blue. What makes garnets good jewelry gemstones is not only the hardness factor, but also the in- between hues that garnets exhibit. Garnets are known for their ability to change color in natural light and artificial light. Another factor that makes for the appeal of garnet is the very high refractive index, which gives it excellent brilliance.
The better known garnet varieties are pyrope (red), almandite (darker red, near black) demantoid (rich green) , tsavortie (green), spessartine (bright to dark orange), rhodolite( raspberry red- deep pink red), hessonite (orange brown) imperial (light pink, rare) and grossularite (commonly called tsavorite).
The chemical composition of garnet is primarily aluminum silicate with other minerals, the presence of different minerals giving each type its peculiar color. For instance, while pyrope is magnesium aluminum silicate, grossular is calcium aluminum silicate. While most famous garnet types are pyrope and almandine, the most valuable is the demantoid of variety of andradite. In the gem trade, when the term "Garnet" is used, it refers to a garnet of dark red color, and usually to Pyrope or Almandine. Rhodolite garnet and almandite garnet: The chemical bases of both of these leading varieties are the same, a silicate of iron and aluminum.
Sources of Garnets in earlier times were Sri Lanka and India, but now garnets are found in Africa, Australia, Russia, Arizona and Idaho.
History and folklore:
While there is mention of garnets being used by the Greeks and Romans, there are texts spread across India which describe garnets being worn as amulets against plague and ill health.
Biblical legends hold that Noah used a garnet on the ark to light his way through the dark and stormy nights. A Greek myth linked to the garnet is the story of the young goddess of sunshine, Persephone, who was abducted by Hades, god of the underworld. Hades eventually released Persephone, but not before he offered her some pomegranate seeds, which guaranteed her return to him. This may be one reason why garnets are offered to friends and loved ones embarking upon a journey, as they were said to promise safe return.
Tribes in India used garnets as pellets, shooting them from bows. They felt they would inflict exceptionally bloody injuries. U.S. Indian tribes were known for employing this stone as bullets; with the conviction that the color would deliver deadly wounds.
Garnets were patronized quite a bit by Russian Tsarinas. Emperor Rudolf ii, ruler of the Holy Empire had many red garnets in his collection. Like the ruby; it was believed that a garnet would change its color to warn the wearer of an impending danger. The Koran holds that the garnet illuminates the Fourth Heaven of the Moslems.
|
