Garnet’s name comes from granatum, Latin for pomegranate.  The red garnet is probably the most popular and most familiar color of garnets.  My new favorite gemstone are the garnets that are a luscious, earthy shade of green,  as well as, a broad range of yellow and orange earthy tones.   Though available in a wide range of colors, garnets are also identified by many names such as grossularite, hessonite, pyrope, rhodolite, tsavorite, spessartine, demantoid, and uvarovite.

One of the most impressive stories that I discovered about the history of garnets is Noah’s use of the garnet as a lantern.   According to some legends, Noah is believed to have used a garnet lantern as a guide in his path & for giving light inside the ark. Early Egyptians were well known for their use of garnets in their bangles, bracelets, rings and scarabs.  The ancient Chinese were said to have used garnets as bullets but the garnet’s  real beauty and value was most pronounced during the Victorian period when the trend was Bohemian garnet jewelry, known for it’s encrusted close-set stones which were often rose cut and sometimes combined with larger cabochons and faceted stones. Even in early days the garnet was considered a protective stone and believed to protect its bearer from evil and disaster.

After a recent trip to New Orleans, where I purchased some gorgeous green garnets, I have totally fallen in love this this gemstone.  It is perfect for fall, winter, summer and spring  with it’s variations of tones and earthy color.