10 Interesting Facts About Garnet

Garnet is a gemstone with a history as deep and colourful as its many varieties. Often associated with love, protection, and strength, garnets have been cherished for thousands of years across cultures and continents.

While many people think of garnet as simply a dark red stone, there’s far more to this fascinating gem family than meets the eye. Here are ten interesting facts about garnet that might just change how you see it!

Garnets Have Been Used in Jewellery for Over 5,000 Years

Garnets were treasured by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, who used them in amulets, seals, and jewellery. Archaeologists have discovered garnet-inlaid items dating back over five millennia, proving this gem’s enduring popularity.

Garnets Are Found on Every Continent

From the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas to the deserts of Africa, garnets can be found in a wide variety of geological settings all over the world. Some of the best-known sources today include India, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the United States, and Russia.

The Rarest Garnet Colour Is Blue

While garnet is most often associated with red, it actually occurs in a wide spectrum of colours. But the rarest of all is blue, a hue once thought impossible to see in garnet. These elusive colour-change stones are found in Madagascar and typically appear blue only under artificial lighting conditions.

Vikings Were Buried with Garnets

In Norse culture, garnets were believed to light the way to the afterlife, as such viking warriors were often buried with garnet jewellery. It was thought these gems would help to guide and protect the fallen warriors on their journey beyond the grave.

Noah’s Ark Was Said to Have Been Lit by Garnet

According to Jewish tradition, Noah used a glowing garnet lantern to illuminate the ark during the biblical flood. This tale speaks to the gemstone’s historical association with guidance, light, and protection in dark times.

Garnets Were Once Called Carbuncles

In ancient and medieval texts, red gemstones like garnet were often referred to as “carbuncles”, a term used for any fiery red gem. This old-fashioned name reflects garnet’s deep association with fire, passion, and vitality.

The Largest Faceted Garnet Weighs Over 390 Carats

The world’s largest faceted garnet is a whopping 396.30-carat topazolite (a greenish Yellow variety of andradite garnet), held in the Smithsonian Institution. This brilliant-cut gem showcases the size and beauty garnets can achieve under the right conditions.

The Biggest Garnet Cabochon Tops 1,000 Carats

When it comes to polished stones, the largest garnet cabochon is the Garnet of Rajasthan, an impressive 1,174-carat almandine garnet displayed in Jaipur, India. Its deep red glow and massive size make it a true showstopper.

Garnet Is Used for More Than Just Jewellery

Garnet’s hardness and toughness make it incredibly useful in industry. Garnet sand is used as an abrasive in waterjet cutting and sandblasting. It's one of the few gemstones with industrial uses.

There's a Ghost Town Named After Garnets

Garnet, Montana, was a bustling gold rush town in the late 1800s and was named after the garnets found in the surrounding hills. Today, it’s a well-preserved ghost town open to visitors, a haunting tribute to the gemstone that gave it life.

Garnets are far more than just the birthstone for January. From colour-changing varieties to legendary lore, massive museum specimens to Viking burials, this underrated gem has a world of stories to tell.