Garnet is a naturally occurring gemstone and a family of related minerals, rather than a single gemstone. Each variety of garnet has a common crystal structure, however only clear can be used in gemstone therapy. Color: Ranges in color from colorless to black.
Garnets have been used since the Bronze Age as both gemstones and abrasives in the refinement of other gemstones.
The rarest of Garnets is the elusive Blue Garnet which was only discovered in the 1990's in Madagascar. Blue Garnets have a unique ability to change color under different lighting, in the sunlight they look blue, but under incandescent light, they look purple.
Garnets were used as decorative gemstones all over Europe from Roman Era Mediterranean to Anglo-Saxon England.
Garnet is used industrially as an abrasive for finishing various products like cabinets. Garnet is also used in filtration after being ground to a fine sand. Garnet plays a role in many industrial sand blasting processes and can be used. with high pressure water jets, to cut steal.
Garnet is January's birthstone.
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