Garnet, the Birthstone of January
Cervos pendant with Garnet, White Diamonds in 14k White Gold
History
This gorgeous gemstone comes from the 14th century word gernet meaning ‘dark red’ and Old French and Latin granum meaning ‘grain or seed’. It’s often been linked to reference the vividness of a red pomegranate seed.
This luscious gemstone is commonly known for being red however comes in a grand array of stunning colors such as orange, yellow, purple, and even green. Although, less commonly known are color-change garnets that range from blue to purple in various lighting.
Garnets have been used since the Bronze Age and have been used in adorning ancient Egyptian pharaoh’s necklaces to signet rings of ancient Rome. This semi-precious gem’s ancient roots can be traced back over 5000 years in human history.
Custom Wedding Band in Tsavorite (Green) Garnet, Diamond, 14k Yellow Gold, and Platinum
Spiritual Meanings
In Indian astrology, garnet helps to eliminate negative feelings such as depression, guilt and invite greater self-confidence, mental clarity, and creative thinking while inducing peace of mind to the wearer. In ancient times, these gems were thought to assist in remedies to inflammatory diseases and sooth a bitter heart. These gemstones are associated with helping one ground their energies while being authentic and encouraging authenticity. In the zodiac, garnet is good for Aries, Leo, Aquarius, and Virgo which can assist them.
Image from Diamondbuzz.blog
Color & Materials
Made from silicate materials, each garnet’s color difference changes depending on intense pressure and temperature variants mixing with other chemical impurities. These combinations in creation causes the silicate to change color depending on the surrounding impurities.
Garnet’s colors are known as the following: Pyrope and Almandine, colors from purple to red. Spessartine is luminating organs and yellows. Andradite, Demantoid, and Tsavorite are characterized for their shades of green. Grossular has the widest range of colorless through yellow, orange, and orange red.
These gems when cut should be eye-clean with very little blemishes sand inclusions. Like most gems, the fewer inclusions they have, the more valuable they are. These gems are rarely color treated or fracture filled. Fracture filled is done to improve clarity to a gemstone or diamond by filling the surface with a glass-like substance.
This gemstone is commonly found all over the world, most types can be found in Bohemia, Russia, Nambia, Kenya, Tanzania, India, Brazil, and Sri Lanka.
Image from Diamondbuzz.blog
Cleaning & Care
The varieties of garnet can range from 6.5 – 7.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness making this gem relatively durable. However, you still would want to take care as it is more susceptible to damage vs. a diamond, ruby, or sapphire. Be mindful on how you store your garnets as diamonds and other harder gems and metal could scratch them. It is also recommended to take off your garnet jewelry before physical activities likes working out or cleaning as they can be damaged by harder materials.
For cleaning, use mild dish soap liquid and warm water then stir it together. Place your gemstones in the water to let soak for 20 – 30 minutes to allow any dirt to loosen. After letting it soak, take a soft toothbrush and remove the dirt under warm water lightly. Then rinse your jewelry and dry it with a soft lint-free cloth. We recommend cleaning jewelry like this always with any kind of diamond or gemstone from sterling silver to platinum.
For these gems, using an ultrasonic cleaner is not recommended since they should be kept separately from other gemstones and jewelry to prevent damage.
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Cheers,
Kris