Garnet is associated with passion, fire and blood. Not only is it the birthstone for January, Garnet is also associated with the astrological signs of both Aquarius and Leo and the 2nd and 6th wedding anniversaries.

It occurs in a variety of colours including red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown, black, pink and colourless. Although there are some 30 different gems in the Garnet family, they all fall into six different groups; Almandine, Andradite, Grossular, Pyrope, Spessartite and Uvarovite.

All Garnets feature the same crystal structure (referred to as isomorphic) and it is due to a wide range of differing chemical composition and physical structures that provide us with so many wonderful varieties. The following gemstones also form part of the Garnet family: Mozambique Garnet, Colour Change Garnet, Hessonite, Malaia Garnet, Mandarin Garnet, Rhodolite, Tsavorite, Demantiod and Mali Garnet.

The gem is steeped in history and its use in jewellery can be dated back as far as 3500 BC due to a Garnet necklace found in Egypt on the neck of a mummified body. The name comes from the Latin word Granatus as it is similar in shape to the seeds of a pomegranate.

It is said to be a jewel with the ability to illuminate the night sky and it is written that Noah used the gem to light the inside of the arc. There are many other legends that involve Garnets lighting and brightening capabilities. It has also been suggested that Eastern Indians rubbed Garnet gemstones on themselves to obtain their glowing qualities.

Several cultures have ground Garnet into a smooth silky mass and heated it to act as a medicinal remedy for illness. Some healers continue to use it today as a cure for nightmares.

The six groups of Garnet are:

• Almandine Garnet
  One of the oldest forms of Garnet discovered, this beautiful gem was featured in writings by the Roman historian Pliny. In appearance Almandine Garnet varies in colour from a red to reddish orange through to a purplish red and is typically dark in tone.
  
  For thousands of years, Almandine Garnet has been mined in several locations around the world and often is given a different name based on where it is found. In Sri Lanka it has been called Ceylon-ruby and in days gone by in Australia it was often referred to as Australian Rubies. Mozambique Garnet is a mixture of Pyrope and Almandine Garnet.
   
• Andradite Garnet
  There are three main members of the Andradite group of Garnets; Melanite which is black in colour and rarely used in jewellery, Topazolite which received its name due to its likeness to yellow Topaz and Demantoid which is an extremely rare vivid green Garnet.
  
  What makes the Demantoid variety so keenly sought after is that it has dispersion greater than that of Diamond. Similar to other green gems, it is the presence of Chromium that provides us with such a wonderful lively green colour; a colour that caught the attention of the Russian jeweller Carl Fabergé who used it in many of his designs.
  
  The gem group was named after the Brazilian mineralogist José Bonifácio de Andrade e Silva who in the 1830’s discovered and documented four new minerals. Andradite can be found in Italy, the Russian Ural Mountains (where Alexandrite was first discovered) and in America.
   
• Grossular
  This variety of Garnet gets its name from the botanical name for a gooseberry “grossularia”, however in its purist form the gem is white and only become different colours such as pink, green and brown when found with different chemical compositions. The tones of Grossular Garnets are often light making them a very popular gem.
  
  Hessonite is a stunning orange Grossular Garnet and as it has the least hardness of all Garnets, unfortunately derived its name from the Greek word meaning inferior.
  
  The best known Grossular is the Tsavorite Garnet. Tiffany's in New York gave the gemstone its name after the Tsavo National Park in Kenya where it was discovered by Scottish gemologist Campbell R Bridges.
   
• Pyrope
  Pyrope from the Latin pyropos, meaning “fire”, is normally red in colour. Its tones usually vary from deep red to almost black, although when found in a violet-red shade it is better known as Rhodolite Garnet (taken from the Greek meaning for a rose).
  
  In 1990 a blue Garnet was discovered in Madagascar and this has been identified as a cross between a Pyrope and a Spessartine Garnet. This new find is important for two reasons; firstly it is amongst the first blue Garnets to be discovered (it use to be said that Garnets come in all colours except blue) and secondly because it is a colour change gemstone.
   
• Spessartine
  This family of Garnets are orange to a reddish orange in colour and can be found in China, America, Nigeria, Nambia and Madagascar.
  
  Mandarin Garnet as its name suggests is a stunning orange gem and is one of the most valuable members of the Spessartine family. It was only discovered twelve years ago and as well as its fascinating colour it also has amazing brilliance.
   
• Uvarovite
  Named after Count Uvarov the president of the St. Petersburg Academy for mineral collectors, this rare group of Garnets is special as it is the only one restricted to just one colour. Its beautiful rich green is derived from Chromium and it is only found in a few countries including the famous gem region in the Russian Ural mountains, Canada and South Africa.

Hardness: 6.5-7.5, Refractive Index: 1.7-1.89