garnet

January Birthstone: Garnet

January babies have two extremely healing gemstones for their month! Garnet comes from the Latin word that means pomegranate. Tasty huh! Garnet isn't a single mineral, and happily has different species that range in shades of red, orange, green and shades of brown. All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms but differ in chemical composition. 

DID YOU KNOW..... There are multiple colors of GARNET??

The different species are pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular (varieties of which are hessonite or cinnamon-stone and tsavorite), uvarovite and andradite.  We carry a handful of garnet varieties in the store here!



Garnet

Rhodolite Garnet ("rose-stone") assists in healing the wounds of guilt and shame, lifting the burden of those memories. The Neosporin of stones. Garnet has been called the “stone of commitment” as its powers reflect devotion and may encourage expressions of warmth and understanding. Garnet is also valued for its ability to end chaotic feelings and bring stability and calm to the wearer, balancing their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual systems.

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Garnets that we LOVE and Carry!

garnet
Why are there so many kinds of COLORS of garnet? They all have a common crystal structure, but different chemical compositions - isn't that so cool?  We think so, too!

• Rhodolite is a varietal name for rose-pink to red mineral pyrope, a species in the garnet group. It was first described from Cowee Valley, Macon County, North Carolina. The name is derived from the Greek "rhodon" for "rose-like", in common with other pink mineral types. Rhodolite garnet is a red to reddish pink and violet that's a combination of pyrope and almandine.

• The mineral Pyrope is a member of the garnet group, that's dark red to blood red color. Pyrope is the only member of the garnet family to always display red colouration in natural samples, and it is from this characteristic that it gets its name: from the Greek for fire and eye.

• Almandine Garnet is a pure red, to orange and brownish red and is not treated and 

• Hessonite garnet is a particular grossularite form of Garnet that is most known for its warm yellow to reddish tones rather than the typical green grossular.

• Tsavorite is a variety of the garnet group species grossular, a calcium-aluminium garnet with the formula Ca₃Al₂Si₃O₁₂. Trace amounts of vanadium or chromium provide the green color. Tsavorites are a member of the grossularite garnets.

• Spessartine of an orange-yellow has been called Mandarin garnet and is found in Madagascar. Spessartine's name is a derivative of Spessart in Bavaria, Germany, the type locality of the mineral. 

• Star Garnets are named because they display an asterism. You can see a star-like reflection of light in the stone - so beautiful!!!

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