The guide to Garnets

Among the large families of stones used in jewelry, the garnet is probably one of the most recognised.

Because of the large number of elements that make up the garnet, it is a fine stone with a very wide range of colours. It is without doubt ne of the most widely used gemstones in the world of jewelry.

Through this guide, we will reveal all the secrets of garnet and more specifically the garnet called "pyrope" that we offer in our catalogue.

Before going into more detail, let's first look at its history and origins.

The history of garnet

Used in jewelry for thousands of years, the garnet was considered by the greatest civilisations of our history as one of the most precious jewels.

The stone is found on many of the necklaces of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt and as a seal to mark important documents in Roman times.

The name garnet comes from the Latin granatium meaning "pomegranate", inspired by the burgundy red colour of this fruit, and from the Greekpuropus as garnet was compared to eyes of fire.

Did you know that?

The demantoid garnet is one of the rarest garnets on the planet and one of Russia's treasures. The deep green colour of this species of garnet is known as the emerald of Russia.

This exceptional mineral was widely used by one of the most famous jewellers in history: Carl Fabergé.

Working mainly for the Russian imperial family, he was the creator of the famous "Fabergé eggs", considered to be among the most beautiful masterpieces in the history of jewelry.

The origins of garnet

Garnets are found on every continent of the world. The main producers are India,Tanzania and Madagascar.

There are also garnet deposits in France, notably in the Pyrénées Orientales near Perpignan.

The main characteristics of garnet

Garnet is a stone that comes in a variety of colours, from burgundy red for pyrope garnet, through golden orange for spessartite garnet or even green for demantoid garnet... or tsavorite! And yes, this rare and magnificent stone also belongs to the garnet family!

But what are the main characteristics of this family?

—— Its colour

Like most gemstones, the origin of the stone often defines its colour. Depending on the geological conditions in each geographical area, garnet can take on several colours.

Thus, we find pinkish-red "rhodolite" garnet with a violet tendency, orange to brown "spessartite" garnet or the garnet we offer at Gemmyo, "pyrope" garnet.

Pyrope garnet is characterised by a dark red, slightly brown or burgundy colour.

Some large crystals - 8 or 9 mm - can appear very dark with velvety red highlights.

Its colour makes it a less expensive alternative to the famous ruby and one of the most popular gemstones among men!

Please note: It is possible, within the framework of a 100% custom-made creation, to make a specific request if you wish another colour of garnet, such as "rhodolite". Our gemologists are at your disposal via our customer service!

—— Its hardness

From 7 to 8/10 on the Mohs scale, Pyrope garnet is one of the hardest gemstones, along with spinel, topaz or aquamarine because it is formed under high pressure.

Sometimes used in industry as an abrasive, at Gemmyo we prefer to recommend it for everyday link_start}jewelry!

FAQs

—— "Where do your garnets come from?"

At Gemmyo, all our garnets come from Madagascar. This country has many deposits of pyrope garnets known for their beauty and the fire inside the stone.

—— "What is the quality of your garnets?"

All Gemmyo garnets are AAA quality, the highest quality available for a coloured stone!

Gemmology lovers, find out more about AAA quality.

—— "Which stone to choose between a garnet and a ruby?"

Garnet and ruby are two stones that are often compared. They are both red stones, and rightly so.

Nevertheless, the difference in colour between these two stones is quite clear. The rubyis a rather raspberry-red stone whereas the pyrope garnet, as we have seen, is a darker red.

It should also be noted that ruby is a much rarer stone than garnet, which is more exclusive and among the three hardest minerals on the planet

The great advantage of garnet, however, is that it is much cheaper than a ruby.

To find out more, read our complete guide to ruby.

—— "Which metal should be paired with garnet?"

Garnet is a stone that pairs perfectly with a white metal like platinum or white gold.

For a more luminous association, we recommend this stone with rose gold for a perfect harmony.

Our advice: we do not recommend black gold with garnet as it will tend to darken the stone, unless you want it to be as discreet as possible! Yellow gold combined with garnet can also give it a slightly traditional look that will not be to everyone’s taste.