Garnet is the January birthstone. Throughout the world, garnet is not only used as a gemstone for jewelry, but also used commercially for filtration, grinding, abrasive air blasting, abrasive coating, and waterjet cutting. The name garnet comes from the Latin word "granatum" which means "seed" in English, because the stone looks deep red and it is so similar to the color of the pomegranate seed. Actually garnet is rich in color, such as green, purple, pink, orange, yellow, brown, and various shades of red. However the most known and commen garnet color is reddish-brown.
There are different types of garnet which are found in different areas of the world. A deep red garnet, Pyrope, is found in Sri Lanka, The United States, China, Madagascar, and South Africa. An orange garnet, spessartine, is found mainly in Brazil, Tanzania, Kenya, The United States, and Kenya. But the rishest color spessartine gemstones are found in Namibia. The most common garnet is almandine with reddish-brown to black hue, which is considered January birthstone, is mostly mined in Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, and the United States. Andradite is a less common garnet which has a reddish-brown, orange, green and black hue color. It is mainly mined in Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, and the United States. Until now, the largest garnet mined on earth weigs 10 lbs. with around 15 inches diameter. It was found in New York City under a subway, thus people call it the "Subway" garnet or "Kunz Garnet". The Subway Garnet is currently placed in the American Museum of Natural History in Mahattan.
According to records, garnet has been found dating back to 3100 B.C. in Egypt, and 2100 B.C. in Sumeria. Garnet stones were frequently used for beads since ancient time and it became very popular for jewelry since Victorian times in the 18th and 19th centuries. The January birthstone garnet is used as a symbol for friendship and trust. Garnet is believed to help build and strength relationships. Moreover,believed to be a healing stone, people usually wear garnet jewelry to promote health and regeneration. In the Medieval times, people worn garnet stone to protect one from poison, nightmares, and depression. Garnet is widely believed to have the ability to balance energy, attract love, and cure inflammatory diseases.
Garnet is a semi-gemstone and its color, type, clarity, and the size determins the value of the stone. The most valuable garnet is andradite garnet in an emerald green color, which price is up to $5000 per carat. The least valuable garnet is rhodolite garnet which color ranges from red to purple, and its price is $120 to $350 per carat.
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Garnet stone is durable that it makes perfect for every day wear. However, you need proper care to protect the garnet jewelry. Do not contact garnet with extreme temperature and chemicals. Take off your garnet jewelry while swimming, washing dishes and gardening to keep it away from getting scratched or damaged.
