SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!
Need Help? Call 800-421-0200
  • MY ACCOUNT
  • COMPANY
  • BLOG
  • LOGIN

Jewelry Factory - North Hollywood, CA

Build your Custom Jewelry
  • No products in cart.
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Police & Fire Dept. Jewelry
  • Engagement & Wedding
  • Motorsports Jewelry
  • Jewelry Cleaning
  • Categories
  • Cart
  • Home
  • Uncategorized
  • Garnet Has Been Coveted by Kings and Commoners for Thousands of Years
 
Howard
Wednesday, 04 January 2023 / Published in Uncategorized

Garnet Has Been Coveted by Kings and Commoners for Thousands of Years

Entombed with the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt and often mistaken for ruby, garnet has been coveted by kings and commoners alike for thousands of years.

The fabulous and versatile garnet comes in a wide array of natural colors, including pink, purple, orange, yellow, violet, green, black, brown — but is best known for its deep-red variety.

In fact, the official birthstone for January, gets its name from the Latin word “granatum,” meaning pomegranate seed. Fans of the tropical Asian fruit know the juicy seeds very closely resemble red garnets.

Pyrope garnets are the most common form of garnet and sport the popular deep-red color. According to the Smithsonian, pyrope garnets were often confused with ruby, due to their fiery appearance. In fact, the Greek word “pyropos” — the origin of pyrope — means “firelike.”

Impressively representing pyrope garnets in the National Gem Collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, is the Victorian-era hairpin (above) that was donated in 1937 by Ales and Maria Herdlicka. The piece is set with Bohemian pyrope garnets sourced from an area that is now the Czech Republic.

The hairpin is typical of Bohemian garnet jewelry, which is distinguished by its close-set, rose-cut stones. Rose-cut gems are faceted on the top and flat on the bottom.

Until the late 19th century, Bohemia was the main source of the pyrope garnets, which were often incorporated into the popular jewelry of the Victorian Era (1837-1901), according to the Smithsonian.

Although the original Bohemian mines have been depleted, garnets are still found in Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Australia.

In addition to the popular pyrope garnets, other varieties commonly seen in jewelry include almandine, andradite, demantoid, grossularite, hessonite, rhodolite, tsavorite, spessartine and uvarovite. Garnets achieve their range of color from trace amounts of iron, manganese, calcium or aluminum in their chemical makeup.

Credit: Photo by Chip Clark/Smithsonian.

What you can read next

It’s Best to Wear Your Precious Jewelry Through Airport Security, Says TSA
Music Friday Tribute: Bill Withers Explains Why Your Love is Like a Chunk of Gold
Fossicker’s Paradise: Queenslanders Seek Gold Nuggets, Sapphires, Emeralds and Opals

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Music Friday: Ava Max Sings, ‘Diamonds and Dance Floors, That’s All I Want’

    0 comments
  • Radiologists Use CT Scans to ‘Digitally Unwrap’ Egypt’s Mummified ‘Golden Boy’

    0 comments
  • NRF Survey: Americans to Spend $5.5B on Jewelry Gifts for Valentine’s Day

    0 comments
  • Modern-Day Explorers Look to Asteroids in Deep Space for Platinum Riches

    0 comments
  • Quiz: What Do Kim Kardashian and Princess Diana Have In Common?

    0 comments

NEWSLETTER

Stau updated with our latest offers.

CUSTOMER

  • Shipping
  • 30 Day Return Policy
  • Blog

COMPANY

  • About Us
  • Police & Fire Dept.
  • Engagement & Wedding

FEEDBACK

We would like to hear from you with any feedback about our website or products.

SUBMIT YOUR FEEDBACK

FOLLOW US

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
© 2019 Jewelry Factory | All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Police & Fire Dept.
  • Engagement & Wedding
TOP