 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Natural Garnets Overview: | |
 |
Garnets are associated
with the color red, but they actually are available in a variety of
colors. Mandarin Garnets were recently discovered in East Africa and
are a variety of Spessartine Garnet. Their colors range from yellow orange to red orange an are frequently quite vivid and striking in appearance. These gemstones are durable and well suited for virtually all jewelry settings. Garnets are singularly refractive and typically have excellent clarity. Mandarin Garnets are not typically treated. As with other Type II stones, slight inclusions are typical. We obtain our Mandarin Garnets from East Africa and occasionally Brazil and Afghanistan. |
| Legend and Lore: | |
| Garnets are believed to provide for
safety to travelers on journeys. Garnets were used as weaponry in
Asia and their red color was believed to increase the severity of
injuries to foes. This gemstone takes its name from pomegranate, presumably because of their resemblance in color and size to pomegranate seeds. In Biblical recordings, Noah used a Garnet lantern to guide the Ark. |
|
| Physical Properties: | |
Color:
|
Yellow Orange to Red Orange |
Refractive Index:
|
1.70 - 1.84 |
Chemistry:
|
Magnesium, Manganese Aluminum Si |
Hardness:
|
6.5 - 7.5 |
Density:
|
4.12 – 4.32 |
Crystal Group:
|
Cubic |
Occurrence:
|
Africa, South America |
