Getting into the last week of January, it does feel like the beginning of the New year goes quite quickly. But this month gifts us a beautiful stone with rainbow colours, which we can cherish for the whole year round, that is Garnet.
The history of this gem started over 3000 years ago (bronze age), and its name comes from the Latin word “granatus”, which means pomegranate.
So simply speaking, the red variety garnet was the starting point of where it was used in jewellery, and how its name was created.
With its pomegranate-like red hue, it has been commonly and widely used in many pieces of jewellery, including some famous masterpiece, such as the Fabergé seahorse brooch and the antique hairpin from Bohemian, which was crafted in Victorian times, as a gift for Ales and Maria Herdlicka in 1937.
However, all garnets belong to one big garnet family, where you can find almost all the colours on the spectrum. Among all the colours, not every hue is more common or abundant as some of the others.
Such as one of the green garnet variety, Tsavorite, which is one of the rarest and most prized garnets. This green gem was predominantly found in Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar. Its rich green colour and amazing lustre are the reason why it’s such a highly sought-after and precious stone.
Similarly, the orange colour variety of garnet, Mandarin garnet (aka Spessartine Garnet) is another great choice for garnet lovers, not just for January babies, as its a highly prized and in trend.
All in all, garnet is composed of a large group of minerals instead of just one single gem species. Among all the six groups of garnets, pretty sure you will find one that catches your eye.
Their magnificent colours, interesting history, vitreous lustre and even unique inclusions can definitely make an attractive piece to add some one-of-kind flare in your everyday life.
How to look after garnet jewellery?
Since the stone has a hardness of 7 to 7.5, which is slightly lower than emerald, ultrasonic cleaning is not really recommended. Warm soap water would be a way better choice.
When it’s set in a ring or in another type of everyday wears jewellery, bezel set will be the best choice to protect the stone. However, if you choose the claw set, finding an experienced gem setter who has worked with garnets will be a good idea.
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