GARNET

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GARNET IS A LARGE GROUP OF MINERALS that includes multiple species; many times the varieties blend together in single specimens. Garnets vary in color from deep red to orange and pink as well as green, yellow, and black; some varieties can change color depending on the lighting. All generally form in well-developed crystals that make them easier to identify than many other minerals. Almandine is the most abundant type and pyrope is the type most often associated with the word garnet, as it displays the dark and often violet-red used in the gem trade. Demantoid and tsavorite are two green varieties that are highly prized in the gem trade. Garnet is mined all over the world, with the most notable deposits in the United States, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Russia, Italy, Kenya, Tanzania, Mexico, and Brazil.

The word garnet comes from the Latin, granitus, meaning “seed-like.” Gem historians believe that this name was attributed to garnet because small examples of the gem resemble pomegranate seeds. The Romans attributed the stone to their god of war, Mars, and believed it symbolized fire. Popular throughout the Middle Ages, garnets were thought to be powerful stones that could enliven passion in the wearer, and it was also believed that a garnet featuring the likeness of a lion would guard the bearer from harm. Furthermore, the stone was used to both save and kill. It was used as an antidote against poisons in the Middle Ages and as bullets during the Great Indian Rebellion of 1892. Garnets also play a role in many religious texts. The Talmud states that the stone provided the only light on Noah’s Ark; the Koran states that garnet is the light of the Fourth Heaven; and Christian traditions have used the stone to symbolize the blood of Jesus.

Garnet plays a significant role in New Age beliefs as well. Thought to bring about prosperity and pleasure, the stone is also used as a talisman against heart ailments, supports sexual health, and is curative in heart and blood disease. It is both the modern and ayurvedic birthstone for January and is associated with both Scorpio and Aquarius.