Interesting facts about garnets
- Under the name garnet we only refer to the red to pink varieties like almandine, pyrope and rhodolite.
- Red garnets were the most commonly used gemstones in the Late Antique Roman world, and the Migration Period art of the "barbarian" peoples who took over the territory of the Western Empire.
- Garnet was known thousands of years before our era and is mentioned in early biblical writings, where it is called «carbunculus» meaning «little spark ».It should be considered, though, that in Pliny’s time all glowing red gems were referred to by this name.
- Pure crystals of garnet are still used as gemstones. The gemstone varieties occur in shades of green, red, yellow and orange.
- The name garnet comes from the Latin «granatus» meaning «seed like». Garnet was considered to symbolize faith, constancy and truth.
- As an amulet, garnet was favored by travelers, for it was said to protect and preserve health and honor, cure the wearer of all diseases, and guard him from all perils during the course of a journey.
- Garnet sand is a good abrasive, and a common replacement for silica sand in sand blasting.
- Garnet was traded heavily in Carthage (Tunisia) during the beginning of the Roman times.
- In the USA it is known as the birthstone for January.
- Garnet was thought to have strong curative powers. In powder, it was used as poultice to relieve fever.
- Garnet paper is favoured by cabinetmakers for finishing bare wood.
- Rock garnet is perhaps the garnet type used for the longest period of time. This type of garnet is produced in America, China and western India.
- Garnets were also used in ancient Asia and the American Southwest as bullets because the stone was said to cause wounds more dangerous than those caused by bullets.
