By Chelsea Reed
The rich warmth of garnet is surely a welcome addition to a cold wintry day! The January birthstone is a classic gift-giving idea that never goes out of style. Do you know these fun facts about the popular semi-precious gemstone? Test your knowledge and find out!
Garnets often resemble the color of Mediterranean pomegranate seeds, so it’s only natural that the stone’s name is derived from the Latin word ‘garanatus,’ which means seed-like. Garnets have long been a standing symbol of love and friendship.
Did you know there are multiple varieties of garnets that come in many colors? Rhodolite garnets can be purplish to pink, while spessartite garnets are orange-hued. Pyrolite garnets are prized for their richer red colors. Mali garnets range from lemon yellow to mint green. Demantoid garnets are the rarest of all and show off a bright green shine that rivals the diamond. The only garnet color that does not exist is blue.
Garnets have been prized as jewelry for a very long time. Pharaohs often wore them in Ancient Egypt, and they were favorite adornments for Roman Empire generals. European nobility is commonly depicted wearing garnet jewelry in Rennaisance art. Take a look the next time you browse through a museum!
From the 14th to the 19th centuries, Czechoslovakia was the leading country to produce garnets. The rich, dark color of Bohemian garnets made them prized specimens of cluster jewelry produced in Victorian times. Garnets are a great way to own beautiful, affordable jewelry. Depending on the quality of the stone, antique garnet jewelry can be a great investment.
Sometimes, red glass counterfeits have been passed off as garnets. In the Victorian era, small pieces of garnet were fused to glass to create inexpensive “knockoff” doublets sold for a higher profit. Having a tough time distinguishing real garnets from the fake ones? You won’t be fooled at Seaside Art Gallery! Each of our estate jewelry pieces is appraised by an expert.
Garnets are not only beautiful, they’re useful too! 150 years ago manufacturers discovered that low-grade garnets were an abundant material for practical purposes. They’re still used to this day. Ground-up garnets cut through steel when mixed with water as sandblasting material.
The warm friendly colors of garnets can brighten up moods any time of the year. From wedding anniversaries to birthdays to tokens of friendship, they’re an excellent gift idea for any occasion. Find garnets and more semi-precious stones in Seaside Art Gallery’s Estate Jewelry collection. Who knows, you might find the next treasure with your name on it!
