Fun Facts about Garnets
By Nick Smith
Three Rivers Gem & Mineral Society (IN), From the January, 2025 Strata Data
When one thinks of garnet, the color red first comes to mind; however, garnets come in a myriad of colors. Certain properties, however, are common to all garnets.
Fun and Historical Facts About Garnets:
● The name is from the Greek word for “grain” because of the round shape of the crystals, similar to the seeds of the pomegranate fruit.
● Garnet is the traditional birthstone for January.
● It is also the gemstone for the second wedding anniversary.
● In Ancient Egypt, pharaohs wore garnet necklaces that would be buried with them when they were mummified and entombed for the afterlife.
● In Ancient Rome, signet rings were made of garnet and used to stamp official documents.
● During The Middle Ages (approximately 475-1450 AD), garnet was a favorite gem of church leaders and the wealthy.
● The discovery of a major garnet deposit in Central Europe around 1500 led to a booming jewelry industry that reached its height in the late 1800s.
Properties Common to All Garnets:
1. The color of streak is white.
2. Hardness ranges from 6.5 to 7.5.
3. Cleavage of garnets is indistinct.
4. The crystal system is cubic with shapes being rhombic dodecahedron (twelve congruent faces) and icositetrahedron (twenty-four faces).
5. The fracture of garnet can be conchoidal (glasslike), splintery or brittle.
6. Transparency ranges from transparent (see-through) to opaque (can’t be seen through).
Sources:
Bonewitz, RG. Smithsonian Nature Guide: Gems
Borelli and Cipriani. Simon and Schuster Guide to Gems and Precious Stones
Schumann, Walter. Gemstones of the World
Sisk, Jerry. The Sisk Gemology Reference, Volume 1: Prominent Gems
https://www.gia.edu/garnet-history-lore
