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GARNET

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Garnets are a set of closely related minerals that form a group, resulting in gemstones in almost every color. Red garnets prove to be most common, but modern gem buyers can pick from a rich palette of garnet colors: greens, oranges, pinkish oranges, deeply saturated purplish reds, and even some blues.

Red garnet is one of the most common and widespread of gems, found in metamorphic rocks on every continent. But not all garnets are as abundant as the red ones. A green garnet, tsavorite, also occurs in metamorphic rocks, but it’s rarer because it needs unusual rock chemistries and special conditions to form.

Demantoid is a rare and famous green garnet, spessartine (also called spessarite) is an orange garnet, and rhodolite is a beautiful purple-red garnet. Garnets can even exhibit the color-change phenomenon similar to the rare gemstone alexandrite.

All garnets have essentially the same crystal structure, but they vary in chemical composition. There are more than twenty garnet categories, but only five are commercially important as gems. Those five are pyrope, almandine (also called almandite), spessartine, grossular (grossularite), and andradite. A sixth, uvarovite, is a green garnet that usually occurs as crystals too small to cut. It’s sometimes set as clusters in jewelry. Many garnets are chemical mixtures of two or more garnet species.

THE HISTORY

Thousands of years ago, red garnet necklaces were worn by Egypt’s pharaohs, and were entombed with their mummified corpses as prized possessions for the afterlife. In ancient Rome, signet rings with carved garnets were used to stamp the wax that secured important documents.

Centuries later, red garnets were among the most widely traded gems. In the Middle Ages (about 475 to 1450 AD), red garnet was commonly favored by clergy and nobility.

Red garnet’s availability increased with the discovery of the famous Bohemian garnet deposits in central Europe around 1500. This source became the nucleus of a regional jewelry industry that reached its peak in the late 1800s.
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Garnet is the birthstone for January and the gem for the second anniversary.

CARING FOR GARNETS

Garnets should be cleaned with a soft brush in warm soapy water or wiped with a soft cloth.  Occasional machine cleaning is safe for these stones. When stored, they should be wrapped to prevent scratching by harder stones such as diamond and sapphire.  Always avoid harsh chemicals when wearing garnets. 

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© COPYRIGHT 2017-2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. .All Rights Reserved. All trademarked names, brands, models, logos, images, and graphics are the sole property of their respective trademark owners and copyright and credit to their respective owners. Timberbrook Capital, Velvet Box Society, this site, including its owners, operators, and developers, is not affiliated with nor endorsed by any watch or jewelry brand manufacturer brand or any subsidiaries thereof, in any way Timbrook Capital, Velvet Box Society is not an authorized retailer of any watch or brand name jewelry manufacturer.  By Browsing, purchasing, or referencing our site for any reason the user  agrees to release all claims to and against Timberbrook Capital, its affiliates, owners, and employees.
  • Home
  • Antique & Vintage
    • Latest Finds
    • Shop By Era
    • Engagement Rings
    • Stackable Bands
    • Cocktail Rings
    • Timepieces
    • Gentlemans Accessories >
      • Gentleman's Rings
    • Bracelets
    • Earrings
    • Necklaces & Pendants >
      • Charms & Pendants
      • Chains
    • Diamonds & Gems
    • Signed Jewelry
    • From The Vault
    • The Archives: A Collection of Sold Items
    • Final Sale Items
  • Custom
    • Custom Jewelry
    • Custom Engagement Rings
    • Recreating an Heirloom
    • Family Crest Jewelry
    • Design Process
    • Schedule Consultation
    • For The Trade
    • More For The Trade
  • Sell To Us
  • Services
    • Appraisal Services >
      • Jewelry Insurance
      • Appraisals
      • SELL TO US
      • Exchange
      • Museum Collection Services
    • Schedule Consultation
    • Custom Jewelry Design
    • Recreating an Heirloom
    • Jewelry Repair
    • Timepiece Repair
    • Diamond Cutting and Gemstone Repair
    • Find Jewelry For Me
    • Find a Watch For Me
    • Find a Diamond
    • Jewelry Rental
    • Insurance Replacement
    • Private Collection Management
    • Layaway Plan
    • Consignment
    • Wholesale Inquiries >
      • Host a Trunk Show
  • The Brand
    • Our History >
      • Sustainability
      • Military and First Responder Discounts
      • Kimberly Process
    • Our Experts
    • Jewelry School >
      • Educational Session
      • Eras of Style >
        • Ancient
        • Medieval & Renaissance
        • Baroque & Rococo
        • Georgian
        • Victorian
        • Edwardian
        • Art Nouveau
        • Arts & Crafts
        • Art Deco
        • Retro
        • Hollywood Glam
        • Mid-Century Modern
        • Brutalist
        • Art Organique
        • Contemporary
        • Simplistic
      • Diamonds & Gems >
        • Gemstone Education >
          • Gemstone Laboratories
          • All About Gemstones
          • Approximate Gemstone weights
          • Carat to MM Conversion
          • Gemstone Colors
          • Created, Synthetic & Simulated Gemstones
          • Equivalents Chart
        • Diamond Education >
          • Diamond Carat Weight by MM
          • Comparative Round Size Info
          • Diamond Cutting and Gemstone Repair
          • Lab Grown Diamonds
      • Counterfeit Jewelry & Watch Identification
      • Engagement Rings
      • Diamond Earrings
      • Timepieces >
        • Vintage Rolex
        • Watch Terms
      • Ring Designs & Sizings >
        • Men's Wedding Band Finishes
        • Ring Width
        • Ring Size
        • Wrist Size
      • Custom Jewelry
      • Metals
      • Engraving
      • Birthstones
      • Jewelry Care
      • Jewelry Terms
    • Makers Biographies
    • Press
    • Be Social
    • Gems by VBS The BLOG
    • Reviews
    • Advice >
      • The Courtship
      • The Wedding
    • Events
    • Holiday Shipping
    • Careers
    • Affiliate Program
  • Contact