What is Garnet?
Most people think of a deep red to orange/brown crystal when they hear the name “Garnet”, but these stones come in many colors. Garnet is the name for a large group of rock-forming minerals that share a common structure and chemical composition.
These minerals are found throughout the world in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.
When sedimentary rock with a high aluminum content, such as shale, is subjected to intense pressure and heat Garnet is formed.
Garnet is also found in lava flows and magma chambers.
The Origin: Where Is Garnet Found?
Garnet is very common and can be found worldwide.
The History & Lore of Garnet
Red Garnet is surrounded by a rich and varied history abounding with legend and myth.
The most prevalent, and well-known of these myths concerns the connection of Garnet with the Greek goddess Persephone.
Persephone was the daughter of Zeus, the ruler of the gods of ancient Greece, and Demeter, goddess of the earth, plants, and nature.
Persephone was abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld, and imprisoned below ground.
She was warned that she would never be free of her captivity if she ate or drank anything while underground, but she ate just one pomegranate seed.
Zeus tasked the god Hermes with freeing Persephone and bringing her back.
But because of her transgression with the pomegranate seed, she was fated to spend one-third of the year in the underworld as the wife of Hades.
Red Garnets are associated with pomegranates because of their color and the etymology of the name.
The Phoenician term for pomegranate is Punica Granatum, leading to the Roman “granatus” meaning seed.
Garnets occur like pomegranates seeds, in a matrix or cluster.
Persephone rises up from the underworld in Spring and the myth has it that her Mother Demeter, is so overjoyed to see her daughter that she fills the natural world with new life in the form of buds, flowers, and abundant new growth.
The lore of Garnet does not stop with the Persephone myth.
In the Bible, Noah is described as hanging a Garnet around his neck to ensure safe passage through the storm.
The Koran describes the light of Heaven as all-pervasive, glowing with a Garnet structure.
The Romans compared the glow of Garnet to that of hot coals, and the deep red color led them to associate this stone with Mars, the god of war.
The Romans also used carved Garnets to form seals and signet rings.
In ancient Egypt, Garnets were buried with the Pharaohs as part of their grave goods.
Possibly because of their reputation for affording protection to travelers, whether in this world or the next.
Description of Garnet
Garnet is a widely occurring gemstone composed of a group of minerals that share a common structure and chemical composition.
How to Identify Garnet
Garnets and Rubies share many of the same attributes regarding their appearance.
And if you are paying for a Ruby, you do not want to be getting Garnet, even if it is extremely attractive.
There are also fake Garnets on the market, so it makes sense to do a little homework before you buy.
Garnets are known for their dense, saturated hues and richness of color. Look at the stone’s hue and see how deep the color is.
Lighter, brighter or vivid specimens may not be true Garnet. They could be colored glass or other substances treated and cut to look like the real thing.
Look for any inclusions and flaws within the stone.
Red Garnets are usually “eye-clean” meaning that you will not see any impurities or inclusions with the naked eye.
Other varieties of garnets, such as Almandine and Orange Garnet have inclusions that give them their unique appearance.
So bear in mind the color and hue of the Garnet you wish to purchase.
The brilliance or reflective qualities of Garnet are one of its main attractions. You can distinguish a real Red Garnet from a fake by doing this:
- Hold the stone close to your eye.
- Look through the crystal at a light source, a lamp, for example, that is a few feet away – across the room is fine. You should be able to see the light reflected off the inner walls of the crystal.
- Tip the stone on its axis and look again. This time you should be able to see rainbow patterns reflected from the light source.
- If you cannot see many reflections, the gem is probably an imitation.
Types of Garnet
Garnets can be found in many colors, although Red Garnet is the most popular and common. Other types of Garnet include:
Almandine Garnet
This variety represents and symbolizes power and resolution. It is usually a very deep red or reddish-brown color.
This variety of Garnet is strongly regenerative, bringing strength and stamina.
It is a stone for self-love and self-care, promoting an affinity with the Higher self and encouraging one to trust in one’s own intuition.
It encourages compassion for self and others, integrates the Base and the Crown chakras, and helps to ground spiritual truths into physical reality.
Andradite-Grossular Garnet
This type of Garnet is associated with abundance and safety and is a good choice for grounding a flighty or nervous disposition.
It is usually seen in hues of green, red, gold, black, and orange.
This type of Garnet stimulates creativity and promotes connections within human relationships.
It has a dynamic and flexible vibration and exhibits the masculine energetic qualities of courage, strength, and stamina.
It realigns the magnetic fields of the body, opens psychic vision, and expands the aura.
Pyrope Garnet
Pyrope Garnet is a stabilizing crystal that bestows vitality and charisma on the wearer.
It stimulates and promotes creativity and imagination.
The physical healing benefits of Pyrope Garnet include soothing sore throats and neutralizing heartburn.
This is a particularly attractive form of Garnet if you are looking for something a little more feminine in nature.
It occurs in all shades of pink from pale to almost crimson and symbolizes love, affection, warmth, and nurturing.
Melanite
This variety of Garnet is said to strengthen resistance and promote honesty.
It releases blocked energy from the Heart and Throat chakras, allowing for free expression of your truth.
It also disperses and clears negative emotions such as anger, envy, jealousy, and mistrust.
Rhodolite
Rhodolite protects the Base chakra and is a warm, trusting, and sincere stone.
It is helpful for sexual difficulties such as frigidity and impotence.
Spessartite
Has a high, fast vibration that imparts a willingness to help others and strengthens the Heart.
It supports rational thinking and clears the mind. It is also thought to act as an antidepressant and to alleviate sexual problems.
Uvarovite
This is a calm and peaceful crystal. It enhances spirituality and opens the Heart chakra to Universal love.
It is an excellent companion in retreat as it enhances solitude without loneliness.
Grossularite
Grossularite teaches letting go and going with the flow of life.
It is excellent as a support stone for anything connected with lawsuits or business challenges.
It is also beneficial for arthritis and rheumatism.
Garnet Birthstone Meaning & History
Garnet is the birthstone for those born in January and February and for the zodiac sign of Aquarius (Jan 21-Feb 18).
Aquarius
Aquarius is an Air sign and is ruled by the planet Uranus, which governs innovation, technology, and surprising events.
Aquarians are non-traditional and visionary.
They are often at the forefront of campaigns to save the planet, climate change, and other humanitarian causes.
But they can be in danger of losing sight of the smaller issues closer to home and may need to be reminded that compassion, empathy, and understanding starts at the micro level.
Garnet is good for Aquarians because it is a balancing, harmonizing stone.
It brings in restraint or exuberance, passion, or caution, as appropriate.
All Aquarians are rebels at heart and do not take kindly to authoritarian figures or measures.
You will seldom find Aquarians in the ranks of the establishment, whether this be military or political.
However, they often make good teachers and are passionate about educating others on the big issues of the times.
They are free-spirited, often eccentric, and may indulge in unusual hobbies.
An Aquarian is guaranteed to appreciate the gift of Garnet, and the love it symbolizes.
One must remember that, although this sign is energetic, passionate, and rebellious, they also need love and support in their lives and endeavors.
Garnet, with its regenerative, protective energy is ideal for this purpose.
Garnet Treatment
How to Clean and Care for Garnet
Garnet can be safely cleaned with warm soapy water and a soft cloth.
You can leave it to dry in the air, or, even better, in the rays of the sun, with which it has a natural affinity.
Sunlight is excellent for recharging Garnet and will help to bring it back to its original, optimum vibration.
If you want to program your Garnet it works well with intentions of letting go of old beliefs, patterns, and behaviors.
It also stimulates and reenergizes a tired or depleted energy body and is especially helpful for sexual and sensual matters.
It lifts libido levels and brings back the passion you may feel is missing from your sex life.
Buyers Guide: Tips & Advice
At first, the vast array of Garnets available can seem a little bewildering.
While Garnets are nowhere near as valuable as Diamonds or Sapphires, they are nevertheless extremely attractive, desirable stones.
See the section above for ways to spot a fake Garnet.
The most important factor in ascertaining the quality of a Garnet is color, but clarity, cut and carat weight should also be taken into consideration.
Color:
To put it simply, when it comes to Garnet, the depth and vibrancy of the color of your chosen stone will determine the cost.
The richer the color the more expensive it will be.
However, as Garnet occurs in a wide variety of colors, the following information may be useful:
Demantoid is a brilliant green variety of Andradite. Both Tsavorite and hessonite of Grossular.
Tsavorite is green and Hessonite ranges from orange, through orange-red to brownish tints of both orange and red.
Rhodonite is a purplish red variety and Pyrope and Almandine can be found in hues of purple and reddish orange.
Spessartine occurs in a range of shades of orange, Andradite is yellow and yellowish green (and is sometimes confused with Peridot).
While Grossular Garnet has the widest range of colors from clear to yellow to red, orange, and vibrant green.
Clarity:
The transparency of each stone is a defining characteristic of gem grade Garnets.
See the section above on how to spot a fake for a description of what the clarity of a good quality Garnet should be like.
Cut:
The way a gemstone is cut is important when ascertaining its quality.
The best specimens are cut so that they reflect the optimum amount of light, leading to a sparkline, vibrant reflective stone.
Carat Weight:
A 1-carat Garnet weighs one-fifth of a gram.
Generally speaking, as long as the other quality factors, or 4 Cs, are equal, the heavier the Garnet, the higher the carat weight, and consequently the higher the price.
Garnet and Chakras
Like many deep red and brown or black colored crystals, Garnet is most closely aligned with Root and Sacral chakras.
Garnet has a strong regenerating vibration and can be used to cleanse and re-energize all the chakras.
When used at the Root or Base Chakra it brings stability and strength to both the physical and the etheric bodies.
When the Root chakra is out of balance or depleted, we may feel unmoored, cast adrift from the world, and vulnerable.
The Root is responsible for our material and physical safety.
And when the energy is flowing freely through this chakra, we feel safe, secure, and confident that nothing can knock us off balance or cause us to worry too much about the material aspects of survival.
However, when this chakra is weak or depleted, or the energy is blocked, the results can be emotionally devastating.
We fall prey to unspecified anxieties and fears; we may lose faith in ourselves and fall into a “victim” mentality.
At times it may seem as if the whole world is against us, and we are powerless to stop catastrophes happening in our material lives.
When you use Garnet to open, clear, cleanse and balance your Root chakra you will feel invincible!
The power of Garnet to disperse negative energies and remove restrictions and blockages is quite remarkable.
It fortifies, strengthens, and activates the survival instinct, grounds energy into the solidity and safety of the earth, and brings in feelings of hope and optimism.
Garnet Healing Properties
Physical Healing Properties
Garnet has many healing properties for physical conditions and is a powerfully energizing and regenerating stone.
It stimulates metabolism. Assists in the assimilation of vitamins and minerals and is good for spinal and cellular disorders.
In addition to these generic qualities, each variety of Garnet has specific healing properties of its own.
Almandine helps with the absorption of iron in the intestines, stimulates the yes, and treats the liver and pancreas.
Andradite stimulates the production of red blood cells, energizes the liver, and aids in the assimilation of calcium, magnesium, and iron.
Grossularite is excellent for arthritis and fortifies the kidneys. It is also beneficial for the mucus membranes and skin.
Hessonite is said to regulate hormone production, reduce infertility, and aid impotence. It is also good for the olfactory system.
Melanite strengthens bones and helps the body to adjust to medication.
Pyrope treats the digestive tract, neutralizes heartburn, and is said to be soothing for conditions of the throat and ears.
Rhodolite treats conditions of the hips, lungs, and heart.
It is believed to enhance healthy sexuality and alleviates impotence, frigidity, and other sexual dysfunctions.
Spessartite relieves sexual problems, treats lactose intolerance, and aids calcium deficiency and imbalances.
Red Garnet represents love and passion. It is especially beneficial in promoting love of the self and in treating anger towards the self.
It is attuned to Heart energy and is therefore good for balancing emotions and treating physical manifestations of stress or emotional dis-ease.
Uvarovite is a detoxifying stone that lowers fevers and treats inflammation.
Mental & Emotional Healing Properties
All iterations of Garnet hold a healing vibration that will benefit the emotional and mental body.
The qualities associated with Garnet are: Willpower, love, loyalty, self-confidence, self-worth, dignity, and compassion.
Garnet is sometimes referred to as a stone of dedication and is highly efficient in supporting your mental and emotional health.
When an individual is devoted to something anything is possible.
Garnet helps you to express yourself creatively and imaginatively, leading to a richer, more satisfying emotional life.
It also supports your mood, bringing in hope and optimism when the outlook seems bleak, and encourages full participation in the sensual joys of life.
Garnet also supports the mind, turning negative thought patterns into positive ones, as long as you do the work.
Use Garnet to help you deal with aspects of your mental and emotional life.
Such as dealing with grief and heartbreak, altering your pessimistic perceptions about yourself and your prospects, and any behaviors or attitudes you want to be rid of.
Metaphysical Properties
The metaphysical properties of Garnet include protection and compassion.
It is said that wearing or carrying a Garnet protects from all kinds of venom and poison, both physical and metaphorical.
For example, if you feel drained by another’s constant negativity or criticism, Garnet can help to protect your emotional body from this and repair any weaknesses or holes in your aura that may be allowing the “poison” of another’s emotions to enter your space.
It is a useful crystal to have in a crisis, especially when life seems to be fragmented or “falling apart”.
It brings the strength and courage needed to redress the situation and make life whole again.
Spiritual Healing Properties
Garnet forms a bridge between the lower chakras and the Third Eye and Crown chakras.
It helps to ground spiritual truths, wisdom, and insights, down into the physical body and ultimately into the supportive energies of the Earth.
Use Garnet in spiritual meditation and development work to keep your mind on the path you wish to follow.
Its vibration is especially good for gathering scattered thoughts and helping to make sense of seemingly obscure spiritual experiences and messages.
How to Use Garnet
As Jewelry
Garnet jewelry has been worn by humans for thousands of years and many beautiful pieces of jewelry are fashioned with Garnet, gold, diamonds, and other metals and stones.
So it should be easy to choose rings, earrings, or necklaces suited to your taste.
Garnet offers protection and love, two excellent reasons to indulge in a new gem for yourself or to give as a gift to a loved one.
In-Home and Office
According to the traditions of Feng Shui, placing Garnet in both the wealth and love corners of your home or office ensures a flow of abundance in both areas of your life.
It has a special relationship to the element of fire, which represents enthusiasm, motivation, and passion.
Placed anywhere in your space, Garnet acts as a shield against negative influences and energies.
Best Crystal and Gemstone Combinations with Garnet
Garnet can be paired with many different crystals and has the effect of amplifying their energies and healing vibrations.
Aventurine and Garnet
Aventurine works well in combination with Garnet if your intention is to attract wealth, success, and prosperity.
It is a stone for manifesting abundance in all things, including health and happiness.
Try making a healing grid with Garnet and Aventurine, along with Clear Quartz and Citrine for a super-charged manifestation tool.
Malachite and Garnet
This combination with Malachite is excellent for protection.
As both crystals have a strongly protective vibration that can be used to shield the wearer from physical danger as well as psychological or psychic attack.
Tourmaline and Garnet
The combination of Tourmaline and Garnet has many physical health benefits.
This combination is believed to be good for relieving muscle cramps and back pain caused by muscle tension or spasm.
Garnet and Tourmaline both have regenerative properties and are said to speed up the body’s natural healing mechanisms.
Final Thoughts & Conclusion
Garnet is a stone of passion, as is Ruby, but of course, a Garnet is far more affordable.
It is a stone of love and strength and has many attributes and applications for healing the mind, body, and spirit.
It is associated with the lower chakras of the body, meaning that it enhances sexual health, promotes creativity, and grounds energies into the vibration and support of Mother Earth.
