Garnet stone in the passage of history
The history of garnet stone, due to the similarity of garnet to the red seeds of pomegranate fruit, the name of this mineral is derived from the Latin word Grenatos, which means “like a grain”. Another reason for this name may be that the ancient Greeks considered pomegranate as a symbol of the gift of true love. In Islam, it is also said that garnet is a stone that illuminates the fourth heaven.
There is an old legend that says that when Noah did not have enough light to guide his ship, he guided the travelers for forty days by the light of a lantern made of garnet stone. For this reason, many travelers in ancient times carried it with them as a symbol to light the way
Throughout history, garnet is one of the minerals with abundant resources and also widely used in jewelry due to its strength, cutting ability, variety of colors and beauty. One of the oldest garnets discovered in history is related to the grave of a young skeleton in which garnet beads were found, and it dates back to 3000 years before Christ
Characteristics of garnet stone
Characteristics of garnet stone
Almandine garnet stone on graphite bed
Garnet is a stone with a cubic crystal system and a hardness of 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. The presence of different elements in this mineral has caused it to have various compositions with different colors. Rhombus dodecahedron and trapezohedron forms are also characteristic of this group of minerals.
Most garnets are formed and found in the contact of intrusive masses with calcareous host rocks or in schists, shales, in cooling internal igneous rocks and sedimentary units such as granites, pegmatites and granodiorites. In common terms, garnet is called red crystals of almandine and pyrope type. Garnet stone is usually formed in metamorphic rocks and is resistant to physical and chemical weathering
Garnet types
Generally, color variations in gemstones are caused by impurities in the host crystals. It is the same in Garnet. However, in some cases, it is difficult to determine which mineral element is causing the color. Also, some gemstones, including some types of garnet, get their color from their original chemical formula and not from an added impurity
The color of red and brown garnets is due to the minor elements of iron in their crystal structure during formation. Orange and pink garnets are colored by manganese, yellow by calcium and green by aluminum, chrome or vanadium. Depending on the composition of these minor impurities, garnets have unique colors and shades. For example, a mixture of iron and chromium produces a purplish/purple garnet
As with all gemstones, rare colored garnets are the most expensive. Some of the rarest colored garnets include: Spessartine, which is rich in red orange, also called mandarin. Or the rich triad of green, tsavorite, demantoid and ovarovite. However, the most valuable type is the color change garnet, which is mined in Madagascar and Tanzania and appears blue in daylight and red or purple under artificial light. There is no pure blue garnet
Types of garnet stones
This mineral has two categories and several subgroups based on its chemical composition and according to its color and refractive index difference, which we will explain
Pyralspite category includes
Set with almandine garnet and spinel, ruby and artificial ruby, glass and tourmaline
Pyrope garnet stone
Pyrope is derived from the Greek word pyrpos which means “fiery” and its color is orange-red, reddish-brown to dark red or purple. Its color is due to the presence of Mg in its silicate composition. Pyrob is a transparent to semi-transparent crystal, and in terms of appearance and color similarity, it may be confused with almandine garnet and spinel, ruby and artificial ruby, glass and tourmaline
This mineral is found in schists and rocks formed under high pressure and heat in areas such as the United States, Czechoslovakia, diamond mines of South Africa, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Tanzania, Australia and Zambia
Almandine garnet stone
Almandin Garnet The name Almandin comes from a place in Asia that was taken from Alabanda, where garnet stones were cut and polished in the past. Almandine has a darker red color than blood red; Its structure is iron and aluminum and its red color is due to iron element. In the trade, they are known as “African or Mozabic Garnet”
Rhodolite garnet stone
Chemically, rhodolite is between pyruvate and almandine in a ratio of two to one, and is actually a trade name to describe many varieties of garnets ranging from purple to medium saturated color. The name rhodolite is derived from the Greek word “rhodonlithos” or rose-like stone
Spessartine garnet
The name of this mineral is taken from the city of Spessart in Germany, where it was first found. This rare mineral is seen as many holes and a rich orange color to pink-orange or brownish yellow
Spessartine garnet is very similar to hessonite. There are high-quality examples in Germany and Italy, Sri Lanka and Burma, Brazil, America, Sweden and the Malagasy Republic. In Brazil, there are high-quality samples with a dark color and it is used in jewelry
2) Ugrandite category includes
Uvarovite garnet stone
Uvaroite is named after a wealthy Russian politician named Count Uvarove, who researched garnet. This mineral is one of the rarest and best types of garnet, which only has a green color similar to emerald due to the presence of chromium element
Garnet stone in the passage of history
The history of garnet stone, due to the similarity of garnet to the red seeds of pomegranate fruit, the name of this mineral is derived from the Latin word Grenatos, which means “like a grain”. Another reason for this name may be that the ancient Greeks considered pomegranate as a symbol of the gift of true love. In Islam, it is also said that garnet is a stone that illuminates the fourth heaven.
There is an old legend that says that when Noah did not have enough light to guide his ship, he guided the travelers for forty days by the light of a lantern made of garnet stone. For this reason, many travelers in ancient times carried it with them as a symbol to light the way
Throughout history, garnet is one of the minerals with abundant resources and also widely used in jewelry due to its strength, cutting ability, variety of colors and beauty. One of the oldest garnets discovered in history is related to the grave of a young skeleton in which garnet beads were found, and it dates back to 3000 years before Christ.
Characteristics of garnet stone
Almandine garnet stone on graphite bed
Garnet is a stone with a cubic crystal system and a hardness of 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. The presence of different elements in this mineral has caused it to have various compositions with different colors. Rhombus dodecahedron and trapezohedron forms are also characteristic of this group of minerals.
Most garnets are formed and found in the contact of intrusive masses with calcareous host rocks or in schists, shales, in cooling internal igneous rocks and sedimentary units such as granites, pegmatites and granodiorites. In common terms, garnet is called red crystals of almandine and pyrope type. Garnet stone is usually formed in metamorphic rocks and is resistant to physical and chemical weathering.
Garnet types
Generally, color variations in gemstones are caused by impurities in the host crystals. It is the same in Garnet. However, in some cases, it is difficult to determine which mineral element is causing the color. Also, some gemstones, including some types of garnet, get their color from their original chemical formula and not from an added impurity.
The color of red and brown garnets is due to the minor elements of iron in their crystal structure during formation. Orange and pink garnets are colored by manganese, yellow by calcium and green by aluminum, chrome or vanadium. Depending on the composition of these minor impurities, garnets have unique colors and shades. For example, a mixture of iron and chromium produces a purplish/purple garnet.
As with all gemstones, rare colored garnets are the most expensive. Some of the rarest colored garnets include: Spessartine, which is rich in red orange, also called mandarin. Or the rich triad of green, tsavorite, demantoid and ovarovite. However, the most valuable type is the color change garnet, which is mined in Madagascar and Tanzania and appears blue in daylight and red or purple under artificial light. There is no pure blue garnet.
Types of garnet stones
This mineral has two categories and several subgroups based on its chemical composition and according to its color and refractive index difference, which we will explain
Pyralspite category includes
Set with almandine garnet and spinel, ruby and artificial ruby, glass and tourmaline
Pyrope garnet stone
Pyrope is derived from the Greek word pyrpos which means “fiery” and its color is orange-red, reddish-brown to dark red or purple. Its color is due to the presence of Mg in its silicate composition. Pyrob is a transparent to semi-transparent crystal, and in terms of appearance and color similarity, it may be confused with almandine garnet and spinel, ruby and artificial ruby, glass and tourmaline
This mineral is found in schists and rocks formed under high pressure and heat in areas such as the United States, Czechoslovakia, diamond mines of South Africa, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Tanzania, Australia and Zambia
Almandine garnet stone
Almandin Garnet The name Almandin comes from a place in Asia that was taken from Alabanda, where garnet stones were cut and polished in the past. Almandine has a darker red color than blood red; Its structure is iron and aluminum and its red color is due to iron element. In the trade, they are known as “African or Mozabic Garnet”
Rhodolite garnet stone
Chemically, rhodolite is between pyruvate and almandine in a ratio of two to one, and is actually a trade name to describe many varieties of garnets ranging from purple to medium saturated color. The name rhodolite is derived from the Greek word “rhodonlithos” or rose-like stone
Spessartine garnet
The name of this mineral is taken from the city of Spessart in Germany, where it was first found. This rare mineral is seen as many holes and a rich orange color to pink-orange or brownish yellow
Spessartine garnet is very similar to hessonite. There are high-quality examples in Germany and Italy, Sri Lanka and Burma, Brazil, America, Sweden and the Malagasy Republic. In Brazil, there are high-quality samples with a dark color and it is used in jewelry
2) Ugrandite category includes
Uvarovite garnet stone
Uvaroite is named after a wealthy Russian politician named Count Uvarove, who researched garnet. This mineral is one of the rarest and best types of garnet, which only has a green color similar to emerald due to the presence of chromium element
