A group of gemstones occurring
in every colour but blue. One of earth's most common minerals, though only
a small portion is considered gem quality.
Species
Rhodolite- violet to purplish-red;
Almandite - red, brownish-red, violetish-red or purple;
Pyrope ? red;
Grossularite - green, yellow, brown, white, colourless, light violet, red,
orangey-red; Varieties: hessonite (orange to brown), transparent, green,
grossularite (tsavorite);
Some show a colour change from a mauve-brown to orange-red.
Andradite - green, yellow, black. Green called demantoid (high lustre and
dispersion);
Spessartite - yellow to yellow-brown, dark orangey-brown, reddish-orange,
orange;
Uvarovite - emerald green, found only in tiny sizes, usually opaque.
Sources
Rhodolite - Sri Lanka, North Carolina, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa,
Brazil.
Almandite - Sri Lanka, India, Brazil, star from Idaho - USA.
Pyrope - Czechoslovakia, South Africa, Zimbabwe - Rhodesia, Brazil,
Arizona.
Grossularite - Sri Lanka, Brazil, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa,
Canada.
Andradite - demantoid: Russia, Italy; translucent yellowish or
greenish-brown, Arizona.
Spessartite - Sri Lanka, Burma, Brazil, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya.
Uvarovite - Russia, Finland (hardly mined at all).
Toughness
Fair to good
History
Since earliest times garnets have been carried as amulets against accidents
in travel. Asiatic peoples and even our Southwest Indians used them as
bullets, believing that their rich, glowing colour might cause more deadly
wounds. The Persians have given the garnet a favoured place as a royal stone,
allowing it to bear their sovereign's image. Red garnet was once used to
relieve fever, yellow garnet to cure jaundice. If the powder failed, the
apothecary was accused of using a substitute.
Cuts & Uses
Usually faceted. Sometimes carved into intaglios.
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