If you've seen our recent Cut By a Woman Collection (helloone-of-a-kind gemstones custom cut by talented female gem cutters), you've seen the mesmerizing magic of garnet. For everyone else, don't worry, we've got you. Welcome to your comprehensive guide to choosing the garnet of your gem-loving dreams including:
What is garnet?
Though most of us know garnet as a deep, blood red ruby-esque gemstone, it is SO much more. Garnet is the name of a whole family of minerals that come in a full rainbow of colors; each with a similar crystal structure but slightly different chemical compositions.
Fun fact: garnet has been found on both the moon and mars - a cosmic crystal if there ever was one.
Species of Garnet
The garnet group contains many different garnet species, and within each species there are even more garnet varieties. Let's talk about the 6 main garnet species used in fine jewelry:
Garnet, ruby, and pearl cluster ring
Almandine
The gemstone most of us picture when we think of garnet, almandines come in a whole plethora of hues from deep red to brownish black to violet red, but are most well-known for that distinctive dark red color.
Andradite
These rare garnets have the most fire (colored light reflection) of any species and come in yellow-green, green, brown, black, orangey yellow, and many hues in between. The most coveted andradites are demantoids, an incredibly rare variety of green garnet.
Tsavorite garnet and green sapphire ring
Grossular
Grossular garnets form in most colors, except very rarely in red, and are usually lighter in tone than other types. The two most popular varieties of grossular garnet are tsavorite garnet, a vibrant emerald green stone, and hessonite garnet, reddish orange to orange yellow gems also know as ''cinnamon stones'.
Pyrope
A rich, dark gemstone, pyropes are often mistaken for rubies and come in dark red, orangey red, pinkish red, and purplish red.
Spessartite
One of the rarer types of garnet, spessartites come in shades of orange. Mandarin garnets, their most famous variety, have a bright orange color and are a favorite amongst gem collectors.
Uvarovite
The rarest gem in the garnet family, uvarovites have a rich, dark green tone that rival the brightest green emerald.
Garnet Blends
As if you didn't have enough garnets to choose from, sometimesdifferent species of garnet blend together to create entirely new garnet types:
Rhodolite Garnet
A blend of almandine and pyrope, rhodolites have a vibrant purplish red color.
Malaya or Malaia Garnet
A blend of pyrope and spessartite, malaya garnets form in pinkish orange, reddish orange, and yellowish orange hues.
Color Change Garnet
The rarest of all garnets are the elusive color change and color shifting stones that magically shift colors in incandescent vs natural light. A stone that looks red in sunlight may shift to a bluish green in fluorescent light, a primarily blue garnet can look reddish purple in incandescent light, and some garnets can even shape shift from greenish yellow in daylight to a vibrant pink-red in incandescent light.
Rhodolite garnet ring
Garnet Meaning: Every Color Explained
A powerfully regenerative and balancing stone, garnet has a color and type for every purpose:
Almandine garnet meaning: connected with the root chakra, almandine garnet helps ground and center the wearer while helping to clear energetic blockages. It's also well known for its ability to attract prosperity and abundance.
Andradite garnet meaning: known as the stone of self-empowerment and higher thinking, andradite garnet brings clarity to the mind, instills a sense of confidence, and eases feelings of loneliness.
Grossular garnet meaning: an-ultra spiritual stone, grossular garnet embodies the feelings of gratitude, hope, and personal empowerment. Like all garnet, it's long been worn to attract abundance and prosperity.
Pyrope garnet meaning: known as "living fire", pyrope garnet lives up to its name by igniting the internal life force for more inspiration, more charisma, and a deep sense of vitality.
Spessartite garnet meaning: known as 'Garnet of the Sun', spessartite garnet helps sharpen the mind, dissolve fear, and build the confidence to take action and reach your highest potential.
Uvarovite garnet meaning: the only species of garnet that's always green, uvarovite garnet stimulates the heart chakra for more calm, more connection, and more joy in aligning with what is meant for you.
How to choose a garnet – the 4 Cs
Garnet color
The most important of the garnet quality factors is color. Garnet and all colored gemstones are evaluated for color using 3 different attributes - hue, tone, and saturation.
Hue
"Hue" is the actual color of the garnet. You can find garnet crystals in red, pink, green, blue, orange, purple, brown, yellow, and colorless depending on the species and and/or variety of garnet. The rarest garnets are green, peach, and clear, but most people look for that distinctive deep red when shopping for garnets.
Saturation
Saturation measures the intensity of a color - think of a strongly saturated garnet as a vibrant red dress on the day you bought it vs that same dress that's now dulled after many washes. Generally, the more saturated a color, the more valuable the stone.
Oval cut garnet ring with diamond half halo
Tone
Tone measures how light or dark a gemstone is - think a light red vs a blood red. Garnet comes in all tones, so it really comes down to whether you love a lighter, more pastel tone or a deep, dark tone.
Garnet clarity
Clarity is a measure of imperfections or inclusions in a gemstone. The GIA categorizes gemstones into 3 types depending on their likelihood of containing inclusions:
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Type 1 gems rarely contain inclusions in nature
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Type 2 gems usually contain inclusions
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Type 3 gems are almost always included
Garnet is a type II clarity stone, meaning it usually has inclusions, however it depends on the type of garnet. Generally, almandine garnet, pyrope garnet, and rhodolite garnet are free from eye-visible inclusions, whereas spessartite garnet and hessonite garnet often have eye-visible inclusions.
Garnet Cut
Garnets can be cut into almost any shape, with the lower-quality stones usually cut into cabochons (smooth domed stones with no faceting). A well-cut faceted garnet will have symmetrical facets and be cut to minimize eye-visible inclusions.
Rare garnet species like demantoid and tsavorite are usually cut into whatever shape retains the most carat weight as possible.
Garnet Carat
Garnets are found in all sizes, so it really comes down to your personal preference and budget. Some varieties of garnet like demantoid and tsavorite garnet are more difficult to find in larger sizes (bringing the cost of larger sizes way up), whereas varieties like almandine are easier to find in bigger sizes and therefore are more budget-friendly in the higher carat weights.
Pink round brilliant cut garnet ring
Durability of garnet
Gemstones are rated in four areas for durability:
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Hardness – resistance to scratches. Depending on the variety, garnet has a hardness of 6.5 – 7.5 on the Mohs scale. That means it can be scratched by materials harder than it and should be worn with care and placed in a protective setting. Pyrope, almandine, tsavorite, and spessartine fall on the harder end of the scale, whereas demantoid falls on the softer side.
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Toughness – resistance to breakage. Garnet has 'fair to good' toughness, meaning it can be chipped or cracked with rough handling or any significant impact.
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Cleavage - like a wood's grain, these are the points where a stone can smoothly split. Garnet has no cleavage, meaning if it breaks, it will break off in sharp, irregular pieces.
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Stability - how well a gemstone can withstand light, chemicals, temperature, and humidity. Garnets are stable to light and chemicals but should be kept away from hydrofluoric acid.
ReadIf you're looking for a more durable red gemstone, consider rubies which are rated a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, have excellent toughness, great stability, and come in a range of vibrant red hues. If you're looking for a durable pink gemstone (or any other color of the rainbow), look at sapphires, which are made of the same mineral (corundum) as rubies.
Caring for garnet jewelry
To keep your garnet gemstone looking its best, follow these cleaning and care tips:
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Clean garnet jewelry with warm, soapy water and a soft toothbrush.
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Avoid extreme heat and don't steam clean your garnet jewelry.
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Store garnet jewelry separately to avoid scratches from harder gemstones.
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Remove garnet jewelry before engaging in physical activities to prevent damage.
Read our blog How to Care for Fine Jewelry for more!
Garnet treatments
While most gemstones are treated in some way to enhance color or clarity, garnets are not usually treated. The one variety that may be treated is the ultra-rare demantoid garnet, which is sometimes heated to intensify its green color.
Your garnet questions answered
Is a garnet an expensive gem?
The cost depends on the variety of garnet - more common varieties like almandine are less expensive, whereas rarer varieties like tsavorite and demantoid are significantly more expensive, especially in larger sizes. It also depends on quality - high quality faceted garnets will be substantially pricier than low-quality cabochons.
Is garnet a fake ruby?
No, garnets and rubies are completely different natural gemstones. Garnets are often mistaken for rubies as they often have the same deep, red color that rubies are known for.
What is the spiritual meaning of garnet?
Every variety of garnet has its own spiritual meaning, but generally garnet is known for increasing vitality, attracting abundance and prosperity, sharpening the mind, and increasing confidence.
Who cannot wear garnet?
While we believe everyone should wear whatever gemstone they feel like, some astrologers recommend that Aries, Taurus, and Leo avoid wearing garnet.
Color change garnets that shift from greenish-blue to reddish-pink depending on the lighting
Is garnet a precious gem?
Garnet is considered a semi-precious gemstone. The only gems classified as precious gems are diamonds, sapphire, rubies, and emeralds. Read our blog Precious Stones vs Semi-Precious Stones to learn more.
What is the official January birthstone?
Garnet is the official January birthstone and comes in a full rainbow of colors to choose from, giving January babies options aplenty.
Where to buy garnet jewelry
If you're a Gem Breakfast diner, you've seen a few magical garnets cross your IG feed. Between one-of-a-kind garnet rings created by our roster of independent female designers and our custom and OOAK garnet rings created by our in-house line, Made by Gem Breakfast, there's a garnet confection for every appetite.
Thinking of treating yourself (or your partner) to a garnet ring? Browse our selection of one-of-a-kind gemstone rings or book a free consultation to chat about creating something custom. Keep in mind, there's no up-charge to creating custom, so if you see something you like on the site, we can usually recreate that recipe for around the same price.