Garnets are known for their dark red color that at times has been mistaken for rubies, because they can display different hues when observed under different lighting conditions. The semiprecious stone has been used in jewelry since the Bronze Age (3,500 B.C. to 1,200 B.C.). The Bible claims that when Noah sailed on the ark during the great flood, he used a garnet lamp to light his way.
Name
The stone takes its name from the Latin term granatum malum. Granatum translates to the word grain. The pomegranate is also associated with the garnet's name, since the fruit contains shiny red seeds that look like jewels.
Colors
Garnets can be found in several different colors. They include the rare demantoid variety, which is an emerald hue; pink and lavender rhodolites; green uvarovites; and orange-toned spessartites.
Sources
The color of a garnet depends upon where it was mined. For example, spessartites have been found in Germany, Nigeria and Namibia; Demantoids are also mined in Namibia, as well as Russia.
Attributes
Garnets were once used to make bullets because it was thought that the red hue would make the wounds be more severe. It is also believed that wearing a garnet protects sleepers from nightmares, wards off negative energy and attracts love.
Hardness
These stones are quite sturdy: They can measure from a 7 to a 7.5 on the Mohs scale, which is used to rate gems' durability (diamonds rate a 10).
Birthstone
The red garnet is the traditional birthstone for the month of January and is affiliated with the zodiac sign of Capricorn, the goat.
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