Did you know that a piece of jewellery with garnets is a wonderful gift to give to your friend? It symbolises eternal friendship and trust, and friends used to exchange garnets as a symbol of affection and also to ensure that they would meet again. I also love that the word garnet comes from Latin’s granatus – meaning grain or seed, as the garnet so resembles the beautiful seeds of the pomegranate fruit. (1)
Agate and Garnet Ring, 19th Century
Garnets are surrounded by more magical stories than this though: a biblical legend tells us that Noah used a garnet lantern to make his way through the stormy oceans and Hebrew writers included the garnet as one of the twelve gems in Aaron’s breastplate (2). Furthermore, a garnet is thought to have been one of the four precious stones given to King Solomon by God and red garnet necklaces adorned the necks of Egypt’s mummified pharaohs as valuable possessions for the afterlife. Carved garnet were also found on signet rings used to stamp the wax of important documents in ancient Rome (3).
Gold bracelet with garnets at the Jewel Tree in Cape Town
Garnets come in a rainbow of colours that result from unique combinations of elements (such as iron, calcium and manganese) within each gemstone. The colours range from the dazzling deep reds to rosy pinks, lime greens, vibrant greens and violets – all colours except blue. Garnets are these days sourced in Africa, Sri Lanka and India.
You might remember this beautiful South African brooch, adorned with garnets
Sources:
(2) Jewels For Me
(3) GIA Edu
Decades of Elegance 