Garnet Gemstone

Garnets are among the top gemstones in the world, that follow the dominant ‘big four’ precious gemstones. Garnets are generally recognized for their popular red hue, which comes in a variety of shades, with varying levels of saturation. However, garnets are not only found in red, and come in a variety of hues, with varying levels of colour, which in turn corresponds to their distinct mineral character. What is interesting about garnets is that they form a family of minerals, with various subtypes. Garnets as noted are most renowned for their red colour, for these have long been sought after for their beautiful colour, and striking presence. Records state that garnets were used by the ancient Egyptians for thousands of years, and their use as precious stones that were valued for their lustre and/or potential powers continued throughout the ages. For a long time garnets were confused with the other major red gemstone in the world, the most popular type: the ruby. Today garnets are known as the January birthstone and are found across four continents, and depending on the garnet species they are found at varying levels of abundance. As the first step in our introductory study of garnets a quick look at the character, distinct features and value of garnets are needed, followed by a look at the meaning of garnets and their historical significance.

The Mineral Character of Garnets

Garnets are gemstones that come from the garnet family of minerals, with an array of varieties (known as species) that correspond to different colours, which is a factor of their distinct atomic character. For garnets whilst being united in their basic crystal structure, they differ from each other in terms of the presence of trace elements and chemical composition, which corresponds to changes in colour and other gemstone features like refractive index, magnetic response. In addition, garnets also form hybrids, where a combination of trace elements leads to new garnet types that carry distinct hues, noted among these is the valuable rhodolite garnets. The distinguishing mineral character of garnets is the presence of silicate and the chemical description of all garnets contain the Si₃O₁₂ at the end, and notably their distinct crystal structure: rhombic dodecahedron, which is a convex polyhedron that contains 12 congruent rhombic faces (in geometry this refers to a quadrilateral whose four sides all have the same length). This is important since garnets can vary considerably from one another in terms of their chemical composition.

The Meaning Of Garnets

The word garnet comes from the Latin term garanatus, which means seed-like and is considered a reference to the pomegranate fruit, whose distinct but notable combination of red to scarlet hues is well known in the natural world. Much of the meaning that is associated with this type of gemstone is tied to its colour. The garnet colour is one of the main features of this stone, with red to scarlet being the popular variety, this is despite the factor that garnets are found in a number of different hues and tones. The red colour in the world of gemstones is often associated with heart, energy and passion for life, and when one speaks of the meaning of garnets this symbolic principle broadly holds true. The wearer of the garnet stone is bound to be filled with the zest for life, and in the mystical traditions that emanate from parts of India, red stones like garnets are believed to confer healing powers on the wearer.

Most Popular Garnet Types

Whilst garnets are found in relative abundance in the world, which corresponds to the great abidance of silicate in the natural world. However, only certain varieties or species of garnets, and their noted hybrids have attained the status of high popularity in the world of gemstones. Here we will look at the top garnet types, that are widely recognized for their colour, rarity and beauty. As noted, in the world of garnets the type of colour and rarity within the garnet group is the key marker of value. In the world of gemstones, there are a number of popular garnet gemstone species that require a deeper inspection. They are the rhodolite, hessonite, tsavorite and almandine; followed by the less known but important uvarovite, andradite, pyrope and grossular garnet types.

Rhodolite Garnets

Rhodolite garnets are arguably the most popular garnet variety. This hybrid is a mix between almandine and pyrope of garnet species and is known for its distinct red hue with a slight purplish tone. The name of this garnet type comes from Greek, derived from ‘rhodon’ which means rose. The saying that roses are red whilst true, in reality, the colour of most red roses contains a slightly purplish hue and is one that is best captured by rhodolite variety of garnets. Rhodolite garnets can be seen as competitors to rubies in the market for red gemstones; however, their attractive combination of red and purple makes them distinct addition. For the mystical among you, rhodolite garnets are also associated with healing powers that are believed to aid the wearer, and in terms of fine jewellery, rhodolite garnets are among the most popular variety. Rhodolite garnets are among the top garnet varieties that are used in the world of fine jewellery, with rhodolite garnet necklaces, and garnet engagement rings being among the more popular. Here is a quick breakdown of the main features of this garnet type:

Hessonite Garnets

The red to orange-hued stone is a lesser-known gem type in the garnet family and is known for its lower density and hardness in relation to most other popular garnet varieties. As a member of the grossular garnet group, Hessonite garnets and are known for their relatively high density and warm yellow to reddish tones. Whilst the red to orange hue is the most popular variant, which exhibits hues that range from dark orange to deeper versions of brown. Owing to their brown to orange tones, hessonite garnets are sometimes referred to as Cinnamon Stone. Another reason for this term is that these gemstone types originate from the gem island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), where this particular gemstone species is popularly sourced. Here is a quick breakdown of the main features of Hessonite garnets.

Tsavorite Garnets

Tsavorite is a part of the grossular garnet species and is among the rarer member of the garnet group. Tsavorite garnets are renowned for their deep rich greens, which in certain case even matches the hue and glow of emeralds. This variety of garnets were discovered in Tsavo National Park, Kenya, in 1967 and its name was coined after the place in which it was found. Tsavorite garnets carry many similarities with the precious emerald, but, depending on the stone, are noted for their greater brilliance and durability. In higher carats (over 2.0), Tsavorite garnets are extremely rare, but still, cost a fraction of the cost of an emerald. Like certain other gemstones in the world, its price is driven by market factors, and owing to the lack of info on this specific stone, the demand for it remains low, and hence the lower price. And for the most part, this garnet variety is still a special item for certain enthusiasts s here are the main features of Tsavorite garnets.

Almandine Garnets 

Almandine Garnet is arguably the most common type of Garnet. Almandine is a stone that is known for its dark, scarlet hues. However, it is not the only stone that is known for its red to scarlet like hues. Further compounding matters is the hybrid character of garnet stones, of which the popular rhodolite is a part.  This means these two popular garnet stones share common features owing to their mixed chemistry. The great abundance of almandine gemstone is noted by the wide availability of this mineral in many parts of the gemstone producing world, with countries as far apart as Brazil, Ceylon, Madagascar and even the United States being the source of this valuable gemstone. Given the abundance of this garnet variant, almandine comes in a wide range of colours, with the red-scarlet hue being at its core.

Fine Garnet Jewellery

No discussion of garnets is complete with an overview of this gemstones presence in the market for jewellery. Whist the top end of the gemstone industry is dominated by the likes of diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds, in recent decades other popular gemstones have begun to make forays capturing the interests of consumers with their colour, durability, and value for money. Garnets in turn have become a key addition. Whilst having held the position as a popular choice for normal jewels, with the rise in the supply of quality garnet stones have led to the growing demand for these stone in the world of fine jewellery. With garnet engagement rings, garnet necklaces and garnet pendants rising to prominence.