What is Garnet?
Garnets are a group of minerals of silicate that have been used as gemstones and abrasives since the Bronze Age.
All garnet species have similar physical characteristics and crystal shapes, but differ in chemical composition. The various species are pyrope, almandine, spessartine, gross (hessonite or cinnamon-stone and tsavorite varieties), uvarovite and and andradite. Two solid solution series are made up of garnets: pyrope-almandine-spessartine and uvarovite-grossular-andradite.
Garnet is not a single mineral, but it describes a group of several minerals that are closely related. Garnets are available in a variety of colors and have many varieties. However, Garnet gemstones’ most widely known color is dark red. When using the term “Garnet,” the dark red form is usually connotative; more descriptive gemstone terms are usually given to other color garnets.
Garnet Color
- Uvarovite: dark green.
- Grossular: colorless, white, gray, yellow, green, green (various shades: pale green apple, medium green apple, dark green), brown, pink, reddish, black.
- Andradite: Yellow-green, green, brown green, yellow orange, brown, black and black grayish. The color is associated with Ti and Mn’s content. The color is light if there is little of either element, and it may look grossly.
- Pyrope: Purple red, pink red, orange red, raspberry, dark red. Note: Colorless pure pyrope ; red colors are derived from Fe + Cr.
- Almandine: red, brownish red, brownish black, violet red.
- Spessartine: red, reddish orange, orange, yellow-brown, reddish brown, blackish brown.
- Malaia: various shades of orange, red-orange, peach, and pink.
- Rhodolite: usually has a distinctive purplish color.
Is Garnet Rare?
It depends on Garnet’s type and color. Peach, green and clear are the rarest garnets. More common are the red garnets.
How much does a Garnet Cost?
It depends on the gemstone’s size and color. A 2ct stone can range from $ 10 per carat to $ 5,000 per carat, for example.
How many Garnets types?
There are two different groups and six different types. The two groups are Garnets of Calcium and Garnets of Magnesium.
- Almandine
- Pyrope
- Spessartite
- Grossular
- Andradite
- Uvarovite
How Hard is Garnet?
It depends on the Garnet type, but it varies between 6.5 and 7.5 ” Mohs Hardness Scale ”
Uses Garnet
Gemstones
Pure garnet crystals are still being used as gemstones. The varieties of gemstones occur in green, red, yellow, and orange shades. It is known as the January birthstone in the US. It is Connecticut’s state mineral, New York’s gemstone, and Idaho’s state gemstone is the star garnet (garnet with rutile asterisms).
Industrial uses
Garnet sand is a good abrasive and a common substitute in sand blasting for silica sand. For such blasting treatments, alluvial rounder garnet grains are more suitable. In water jets, the garnet is mixed with very high pressure water to cut steel and other materials. Grenets extracted from hard rock are suitable for water jet cutting as they are more angular in shape, hence more efficient in cutting.
