Garnets Are Not All Red

Garnets are one of my favorite stones. Garnets are not all red, although we may tend to think of them that way. There are several garnet varieties that are all related and several different colors. Garnets are rich in symbolism, too. A garnet symbolizes constancy, truth, and faith.

Garnets form deep underground where the material has to withstand extreme temperature variations.  This is a group of minerals with related chemical compositions and similar crystal structures.

These are the most common varieties: Spessarite garnets are orange to red-brown.  Grossularite garnets are green and can range from green-yellow to brownish. Pyrope garnets, Almandite garnets, and Rhodolite garnets are red with overtones of other hues.

Garnets are a popular gemstone and are widely used in jewelry. I have loved the look of old Bohemian garnets since childhood. At one time I dreamed of collecting them. My Seven Spirals necklace includes several garnets. Red garnets are still my favorites and I’ll be including more of them in new bracelet and necklace designs for 2022