Posts on : garnet
GEMS January – Mines and Types of Garnet
by Administrator on Jan.20, 2010, under GEMS
Here we are, with another post in Gemstone Each Month Series (GEMS) on Garnets, for the month of January. We did some research on the mines and types of garnet, would be discussing the same in this post.
Garnets are usually mistaken as a single gem, but it is actually a family of gems. They are found all over the world including Latin America, Africa, India, Australia, Asia and some parts of Europe. The most common color of garnets is reddish brown whereas the most prized garnet is an emerald green variety called demantoid and is a member of the adradite group. Garnets are many a times found in the streams where metamorphic rock has eroded and left crystals for collection.
Pendant in uvarovite, a rare bright-green garnet
Types of Garnet used as gems are -
- Pyrope - (from the Greek pyrōpós meaning “fire-eyed”) is red in color and chemically a magnesium aluminium silicate, though the magnesium can be replaced in part by calcium and ferrous iron. The color of pyrope varies from deep red to almost black. Transparent pyropes are used as gemstones. A variety of pyrope from Macon County, North Carolina is a violet-red shade and has been called rhodolite, from the Greek meaning “a rose.” In chemical composition it may be considered as essentially an isomorphous mixture of pyrope and almandine, in the proportion of two parts pyrope to one part almandine. Pyrope is an indicator mineral for high-pressure rocks.
- Almandine - sometimes incorrectly called almandite, is the modern gem known as carbuncle. The name Almandine is a corruption of Alabanda, a region in Asia Minor where these stones were cut in ancient times. Chemically, almandine is an iron-aluminium garnet, the deep red transparent stones are often called precious garnet and are used as gemstones (being the most common of the gem garnets).
- Spessartine - Spessartine or spessartite is manganese aluminium garnet. Its name is derived from Spessart in Bavaria. It occurs most often in granite pegmatite and allied rock types and in certain low grade metamorphic phyllites. Spessartine of an orange-yellow is found in Madagascar. Violet-red spessartines are found in rhyolites in Colorado and Maine.
- Grossular - Grossular is a calcium-aluminium garnet, though the calcium may in part be replaced by ferrous iron and the aluminium by ferric iron. The name grossular is derived from the botanical name for the gooseberry, grossularia, in reference to the green garnet of this composition that is found in Siberia. One of the most sought after varieties of gem garnet is the fine green grossular garnet from Kenya and Tanzania called tsavorite. This garnet was discovered in the 1960s in the Tsavo area of Kenya, from which the gem takes its name.
- Andradite - is a calcium-iron garnet, is of variable composition and may be red, yellow, brown, green or black. The recognized varieties are topazolite (yellow or green), demantoid (green) and melanite (black). Andradite is found both in deep-seated igneous rocks like syenite as well as serpentines, schists, and crystalline limestone. Demantoid has been called the “emerald of the Urals” from its occurrence there, and is one of the most prized of garnet varieties. Topazolite is a golden yellow variety and melanite is a black variety
- Uvarovite - Uvarovite is a calcium chromium garnet. This is a rather rare garnet, bright green in color, usually found as small crystals associated with chromite in peridotite, serpentinite, and kimberlites. It is found in crystalline marbles and schists in the Ural mountains of Russia and Outokumpu, Finland. Uvarovite crystals are generally too small to facet and are left attached to a matrix and incorporated into jewelry.
So those were the six major types of Garnets. Hope you got enjoyed reading this post, if you would like to contribute or share anything on Garnets do email us at info@jewelstruck.com.
References – Wiki
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GEMS January – Basic information on Garnets
by Maura Nicholson on Jan.16, 2010, under Handmade Jewelry
With our second post on Gemstone Each Month Series (GEMS) for January, we would be talking about basic information on Garnets. Also accompanied by a very beautiful handmade Garnet bead ring in silver by Maura Nicholson.
Garnets are actually one of the largest families of gemstones of related minerals rather than a single gemstone. The group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. Each having common crystal structure, and similar chemical composition.
Though garnets are mostly seen in red color, but with the exception of blue it is found in every color of the spectrum. Garnets family is also rich in rarities such as star garnets and stones whose colour changes depending on whether they are seen in daylight or artificial light.
Garnet bead ring in silver
Most natural garnets are mixtures of two or more of the following pure species: pyrope, almandine, spessartine, uvarovite, grossular, andradite. The best known type of garnet is red semi-precious stone pyrope, one of several red gems. The ancient people used to call this as Carbuncles.
The name “garnet” may come from either the Middle English word gernet meaning ‘dark red’, or the Latin granatus (“grain”) something like ‘the grainy one’, possibly a reference to the Punica granatum (“pomegranate”), a plant with red seeds similar in shape, size, and color to some garnet crystals.
Well that was very basic info about Garnets, we would be discussing more stuff with coming posts in this series including – properties, types, history, applications etc of garnet. If you have anything to share on Garnets (Jewelry pics, videos or any other information) do email us at info@jewelstruck.com.
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Garnet earrings in gold
by Maura Nicholson on Jan.12, 2010, under Handmade Jewelry
9ct red gold earrings with garnet stones , these earrings are really pretty. Garnets are such a lovely stone , there is something very regal about them.
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Gemstone Each Month Series (GEMS) January – Garnet quick facts!
by Administrator on Jan.06, 2010, under GEMS
Garnet finally is chosen for Gemstone Each Month Series (GEMS), January. As it is also the BirthStone for this month. So many things coming up lately had delayed this announcement. Anyways better late than never, we would start of with quick facts on Garnet (yeah, as always!)
Anglo-Saxon sword hilt fitting, gold with gemstone inlay of garnet cloisonne
- Name originates from pomegranate seed or granatum, with similar color
- Though most common color for garnet is reddish brown, but its found in a virtual rainbow of colors
- These are group of common silicate minerals which have similar crystal structure & chemical composition
- Garnet’s are one of most ancient gems used, traced to the Nile Delta in 3100 B.C
- It is Gemstone for January, also called New York’s Gemstone
- It has got great Geological importance, been used for interpreting the genesis of many igneous and metamorphic rocks
Thats just to start with, keep watching this series to know more about garnet. If you have something to share on Garnets, please do email us at info@jewelstruck.com. Your contribution would be credited and we would be thankful to you for helping us out :-)
Image credit - portableantiquities
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Handcut Silver and Garnet Necklace
by Maura Nicholson on Dec.22, 2009, under Handmade Jewelry
Garnet and silver necklace
All the pieces of silver are handcut on this necklace, the pieces hanging from the garnet beads are silver lizards. This necklace feels really good on and hangs beautifuly around the neck line. Why are they lizard shape? I am not really sure, it just seemed right for the necklace!
Check it out on my web store.
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