Garnet Gem Stone
This little stone was, in the middle ages, used to stop loss of blood and cure inflammatory diseases. It is still hailed as a symbol of sincerity and devotion and is known to cure anger and indiscipline. Stones of the garnet family are known to be moderately hard, durable and quite brilliant. The range of colors is more than almost all other family of gems, with varieties in shades of green, red, yellow and orange. You will find the cheapest of the cheapest and the costliest of the costliest in this family, and much of the range and versatility is yet to be commercially exploited.
Out of the various varieties, the green one, also known as the tsavorite, is probably the most lovely and brilliant one, so much so that many would at first glance believe it to be an emerald of the finest quality. In fact it is more durable, more brilliant and clearer of inclusions than a normal emerald, yet it is priced lower than an emerald because, well, an emerald is an emerald! Tsavorites are most abundantly found in Kenya and Tanzania. There is also this other, less easily found variety of green garnet known as the demantoid, which is slightly softer, and thus less wearable but a lot more brilliant than the tsavorite. As a result, it is more expensive. However, while going for demantiod garnets, keep in mind that gentle heating can be used on this stone to enhance its color.
Other than the green ones, there have also been red varieties of garnet, which have often been confused with rubies, and yellow ones which have been taken for topazes – such is the brilliance that this family of stones exhibit.
No doubt, this is one of the most exciting families of stones, which will surely expand commercially over the years to come. There are also color changing varieties of stones that appear red in incandescent light and blue in normal or fluorescent light, and translucent or opaque varieties that closely resemble jade. Garnets, in general, are most abundantly found in Madagascar, Pakistan, India and the United States.
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