Garnet

At Theo Fennell we use many of these beautiful stones including Spessartine which is a deep fiery reddish-orange in colour and Tsavorite which is a rich grass green. The name ‘Garnet’ is derived from the Latin ‘granatum’ meaning pomegranate as the small red crystals of the variety Almandine were thought to resemble pomegranate seeds.

Garnet has long symbolised the bringing of light into darkness. For example, the Vikings were buried with garnet jewellery to help light the way to Valhalla and Noah is said to have used a beautiful cut gem on the ark to light his way through the dark and stormy nights.

Description: Garnets are a large family of gemstones and whilst typically thought of as being red, actually have a broad spectrum of colour and price. They are found all over the world, including Great Britain.

Hardness: 7.5 – 8.5 on Mohs Scale

Birthstone: January