Aviva Trivia

o The name garnet is derived from the Latin word granatus, meaning grain. It has been speculated that this is due to small alluvial crystals being found wich closely resembled pomegranate seeds or grain.

o Garnet is actually a group of minerals. It consists of eight main varieties:
o Almandine or Almandite Garnet
o Andradite
o Grossularite
o Hydrogrossular Garnet
o Malaia and Color Change
o Pyrope
o Rhodolite
o Spessartite

o Garnets naturally occur in many colors and hues. They range from green, orange, to red hues. They have also been found colorless.

o The most sought after garnet is the color change garnet. This particular garnet changes hues under incandescent and fluorescent light.

o A popular green gemstone known as tsavorite belongs to the grossularite variety of the garnet family. The source of tsavorite is Tanzania and Kenya.

o All garnets rate 7 -7 ½ on Moh’s hardness scale.

o It is the designated gemstone for January and 2nd wedding anniversaries. It has been associated with a specific time of day which is 11:00 AM.

o It has been associated with the astrological signs of Aquarius, Leo, Virgo, and Capricorn. It has also been linked astrologically with the planet of Mars.

o In numerology garnet has been associated with the number of 2.

o In folklore, garnet was thought to soothe discord. Due to its deep red hue many myths have linked it to healing ailments of the blood. In some civilizations tribes used garnets as projectiles in weaponry, believing that it would seek blood and inflict more damage.

o In chakra workings it has been used to remove negative energy.

o Ancient healers ground garnets into poultice powders and used according to the color. Red garnet powder reduced fevers; while yellow garnets were used for jaundice.