Garnets probably rank first among the most misunderstood gemstones in the modern market. The garnets are actually a vast group of minerals that share the same crystal structure but have small differences in their chemistry, which result in the various species and varieties we use today. Although commonly considered to be only dark red, the garnets have a wide variety of possible tones and hues that ranges from red to orange to yellow and green, and also combinations of those.
The name garnet results from the Latin “granatus” meaning seed, in reference to the fruit pomegranate. In fact, some garnet species in their rough form resemble the strongly red coloured and shiny seeds of this succulent fruit.
“After Hades abducted Persephone and took her down to the underworld against her will, Zeus, after Demetra’s request, commanded his brother Hades to release her and sent Hermes to escort her and assure her safe passage. Before leaving, Hades gave Persephone a pomegranate as a gift, as he knew that after tasting the sweetness of its seeds she would cravefor it and would return to him for more. In fact, Persephone returned to the underworld for three months every year, forever, which caused the winter to arrive. When she rose up to be with Demetra, her mother, spring would come.”
The pomegranate, and as a result the red garnet as well, is associated with eternity. This Greek myth has resulted in the symbolism of love and attraction attributed to red garnets; not just any love, but a deep kind of love that unconsciously and resistlessly takes you to a different world from which you cannot or won’t leave.
Red garnets come in many species and varieties, each one having its own characteristic colour. Pyrope garnet with thispowerful name that means “fiery eyed” usually exhibits a strong pure red colour. It was highly prized by ancient Romans and Greeks and it is treasured by the collectors of antique jewelry today. Rhodolite with its gentle name that comes from the Greek “rhodon” meaning rose, usually has a purplish tint in its red body.
Spessartite is a beautiful lively orange garnet, while hessonite exhibits a warmer and more brownish orange colour that gains it the market name “cinnamon stone”. A very interesting and uncommon garnet is the Malaya (or Malaia). Rejected by the gem dealers at first because they were unfamiliar with its particular look, Malaya garnets gained the market’s respect when they were introduced in the 1960’s. These garnets have a bright pinkish orange colour and may exhibit the phenomenon of colour change when lit with different types of light.
Tsavorite is the most famous green garnet, named after the Tsavo National park of Kenya where it was first mined. Its strong green colour makes it a beautiful and high quality alternative to the more popular gem emerald. Uvarovite is another green garnet that usually occurs as tiny crystals that form a dense bed that covers the surface of the host rock (called drusy encrustations); this gives the designers and jewelers the freedom to create unique pieces with it, by carving it in various shapes. Demantoid is a rare type of green to yellow green garnet. Its name means “diamond-like” and reflects the fact that this beautiful garnet shows strong flashes of rainbow colours when polished, with a dispersion rate that surmounts the one of diamonds.
If you fancy gemstones that have a rich and long history, that have been “talking” to humans for more than 4000 years, that have been given as gifts to lovers hoping for their quick return or to estranged loved ones, then you will adore the garnets. Should you need to heal any broken bonds between you and your love, magical powers may not be real but garnets are.. And they are waiting out there to dazzle you with their beautiful colours.
This article was first published in the Jewellery Historian Magazine – Issue 7
