Garnet

Garnets are a gemstone that naturally occur. The word "garnet" comes from the Latin word granatus, or 'seed', because it resembles a seed when housed in it's matrix rock. Garnets are actually a family of related minerals as opposed to a single gemstone, each with a similar chemical makeup and crystal structure. Unfortunately, the majority of people understand garnet to be a dark red, inexpensive stone, because it is so common. It is considered by some to be inferior, and this bias continues on to rarer and more attractive forms of garnet. Garnet naturally occur in a wide range of colors including the well known red, a reddish orange, or orange, brown, yellow, and green. The variation of color is reflective of the different chemical composition of the stone. Garnets rate a 7-7.5 on the hardness scale, are considered good for everyday wear, and usually safe to clean in an ultrasonic cleaner.