Garnet is not one mineral but a group of closely related silicate minerals. They share the same crystal structure and differ in chemistry, so garnets come in almost every color. Red garnet, the color most people picture, is one of the most widespread gems and has a long history. Garnet is the birthstone for January.
A family of colors
Five garnet species matter most as gems. Pyrope and almandine run from purple to red. Spessartine comes in oranges and yellows. Andradite is yellow to green, and its brilliant green variety is called demantoid. Grossular has perhaps the widest range of any garnet, from colorless through yellow and orange to the vivid green of tsavorite. Rhodolite, a purplish red, is a blend of pyrope and almandine.
Red garnet grows in metamorphic rock, rock altered by heat and pressure, and it is found on every continent.
Named for the pomegranate
Gem references trace the name to medieval Latin, granatum or granatus, and to the pomegranate, whose red seeds look like small garnet crystals. The Online Etymology Dictionary notes another possibility: granum, "grain," a word also used for a red dye. Chinese makes the same link. Garnet is shiliushi, "pomegranate stone," and in Chinese art the many-seeded pomegranate stands for many sons to carry on the family line.
Garnet in history
A red garnet bead necklace found in an Egyptian grave is more than 5,000 years old. In ancient Rome, signet rings set with carved garnets stamped the wax that sealed important documents, and in Pliny's day red garnets were among the most widely traded gems. Pliny called them carbunculi, "little coals," because they glowed red like fire.
In early medieval England, goldsmiths set thin slices of garnet into tiny gold cells, a technique called cloisonné. Some of the finest work of the period comes from the Sutton Hoo ship burial of the early 600s. Early results from British Museum research point to garnets from India, Sri Lanka and present-day Czechia.
Red garnet became easier to find after the famous Bohemian deposits in central Europe were discovered around 1500. They fed a regional jewelry industry that peaked in the late 1800s, and Bohemian pyrope was hugely popular in the Victorian era. The name pyrope comes from a Greek word meaning "fiery-eyed."
Garnet traditions
Carbuncle, an old name for red garnet that was also used for almost any red stone, was said to be one of the four precious stones God gave King Solomon. A treatise of about the 13th century, the Book of Wings attributed to Ragiel, held that a lion engraved on a garnet would guard its wearer "from all perils in travelling." Garnet is also the gem for the second wedding anniversary.
Hardness and care
Garnets rate 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. Diamonds, rubies and sapphires can scratch them, and they can scratch softer gems such as pearls and opals, so store garnet jewelry where it won't rub against other gems. A soft brush with warm, soapy water is always safe. Ultrasonic cleaners are usually safe, except for stones with fractures or fracture filling. Steam cleaning is not recommended. Browse more stone bracelets, including garnet with red agate.
Garnet at Buddha.store
- Natural Garnet Bead Bracelet
- 3mm Natural Garnet Bracelet
- Garnet and Red Agate Blessing Bracelet
- Double-Wrap Garnet Blessing Bracelet
- Garnet Triple Wrap Bracelet with Fox Charm
- Multi-Layered Garnet Bracelet with Money Bag Charm
See every piece in our Garnet collection.
