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Garnet |
Garnets
were said to be magnets for prosperity and glory, and to dream of
them was said to symbolize the gaining of wealth. Garnets were also
came to be an emblem of truth and fidelity. Perhaps as a symbol of
faith even beyond death, Italian widows favored garnets and the
stone became known as pietra della vedovanza, the stone of
widowhood. Metaphysically, garnet is a stone of regeneration, a
stone that pours energy into all the chakras and then balances those
energies. Garnet is said to spark past-life recall and psychic
awareness. It’s also believed to inspire both love and devotion.
Garnet is considered a particularly powerful ally in times of
crisis, enhancing the survival instinct.
Below is information about specific types of garnet:
Almandine (Garnet):
dark red (usually darker than pyrope); iron aluminum silicate; Mohs’
hardness 7 ½; often opaque or subtranslucent; vitreous luster; cubic
crystal system. Almandine is found worldwide in metamorphic rocks
and granitic pegmatites.
This dark red garnet was worn by the Crusaders as a protection
against wounds and poison. A famous almandine was given to Emperor
Otto by his son and set in the German monarch’s crown.
Metaphysically, almandine is strongly connected with regeneration
and is a stone said to both draw deep love and support a connection
to one’s higher self, opening the way to both compassion and
charity. It’s also known to open the channel between the crown and
base chakras. This dark red garnet is tremendously versatile in
jewelry. Its strong color can easily balance both transparent and
opaque stones. If you want to work with transparent gems, string it
with any of the green garnets, green or pink tourmaline, and for
contrast citrine or amber. It also goes well jade, grey and white
pearls, black onyx, and ruby fuschite.
Pyrope (Garnet):
pinkish red, blood red, slightly brownish red; magnesium aluminum
silicate; Mohs’ hardness 7-7 ½; virtreous luster; cubic crystal
system.
The name pyrope comes from the Greek pyropos, which means fiery or
fire-like. Pyrope’s legendary red color comes from trace amounts of
iron and chromium. This garnet is usually found in alluvial deposits
and volcanic rock in sites around the globe such as Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, Burma, Scotland, Switzerland, Tanzania and the
United States.
Pyrope was very popular in Europe in both the 18th and 19th
centuries, and accounts for most of the dark red garnets in
Victorian jewelry. The Victorian pyrope garnets were also known as
Bohemian garnets, because they were found in Czechoslovakia (formely
Bohemia), and were typically rose cut for the Victorian settings.
Metaphysically, pyrope is connected with charisma, vitality, and
helping bring in a wonderful quality of life. It’s also considered a
stabilizing stone that protects the base and crown chakras. Pyrope
is very dramatic with black onyx beads, as well as any of the green
garnets. It also looks beautiful with white, grey, or black pearls,
and with tanzanite. Rhodolite is a lovely pinkish-red pyrope.
This garnet was first found in North Carolina at the end of the 19th
century, and its name is taken from the pinkish-red blossoms of the
local rhododendron. Now most rhodolite is mined in Tanzania, India,
and Sri Lanka. Metaphysically, rhodolite is said to radiate warmth,
trust, and sincerity. It’s believed to be a good creative stone,
sparking intuition, and inspiration. Rhodolite is also considered a
stone that protects the base chakra and supports healthy sexuality.
Rhodolite looks beautiful when strung with peridot, grossularite,
amethyst, blue topaz, and sapphire, and is quite luscious when
combined with the darker red garnets or even rubies.
Grossular (Garnet):
can be pink or green; calcium aluminum silicate; Mohs’ hardness 7;
vitreous luster; cubic crystal system. Grossular or Grossularite’s
name comes from Ribes grossularia, the botanical name for
gooseberry, because the first grossular crystals found were a pale
green that resembled gooseberry. Of all the garnet minerals,
grossularite has the widest range of colors. Metaphysically,
grossularite is a stone that helps one to “go with the flow.” It’s
said to be particularly useful during times of challenge and
confrontation, helping to maintain a feeling of relaxation even in
the midst of stressful conflict. Green grossularite works well with
amethyst, rhodolite, iolite, hessonite, blue topaz, blue tourmaline,
spessartine, and smoky quartz. For a striking contrast, pair this
green garnet with the bright orange fire opal or turquoise—or both.
Hessonite, also called cinnamon stone, is a yellow to reddish-orange
grossular, found mostly in Sri Lanka and Brazil.
Metaphysically, hessonite is a stone of self-respect that counters
feelings of inferiority or guilt and encourages new journeys and
challenges. It’s also said to be useful in opening to intuition and
psychic awareness. String it with green garnets, peridot, citrine,
amethyst, or blue topaz; or for a gentler piece, try it with lemon
quartz, iolite, and white pearls. For rich autumnal tones, pair it
with smoky quartz. Tsavorite is the most valuable grossular, a
radiant green gem that was first identified in 1968 by Campbell R.
Bridges, a British gemologist, who found the stones in Kenya’s Tsavo
National Park. Tsavorites, in fact, can be so brilliant that they’ve
been called the “poor man’s emerald.” Their green color usually
comes from trace elements of chromium and vanadium. Metaphysically,
Tsavorite supports self-knowledge and self-love. It’s also said to
be useful in connecting with both the higher planes and the
spiritual world, and can be useful in psychic communication. This
dark green stone is a class act when strung with white pearls, but
it’s also a gorgeous stone to contrast with the darker, equally
glittering gems like sapphire, ruby, and tanzanite. For an equally
dramatic but different sort of contrast, try Tsavorite with black
opals that show green or blue fire.
Spessartine (Garnet):
often orange; manganese aluminum silicate; Mohs’ hardness 7;
vitreous luster; cubic crystal system Spessartine gets its color
from manganese and is found in alluvial deposits in Brazil,
Madagascar, Mexico, Nigeria, Tanzania, and the United States. A
particularly intense and radiant orange spessartine found in Namibia
is known as mandarin garnet. Metaphysically, spessartine is a stone
for a generous and strong heart, opening the way to acting with
compassion and charity. It’s also said to strengthens one’s rational
and analytic abilities. Spessartine’s rich color is set off
beautifully by other stones with deep colors: amethyst, sapphire,
the green garnets, boulder opal, and depending on the shade of
spessartine, amber. It also works well with jade, turquoise, and the
brown agates. |
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Rhodonite Gemstone Beads |
Color: Red with black veins
Chemical composition: MnSiO3 magnesium metasilicate
Mohs’ hardness: 5 ½-6 ½
Transparency: Opaque-transparent
Luster: Vitreous
Fracture: Uneven, conchoidal
Crystal system: Triclinic; rarely in plates or long crystals, usually compact grainy aggregates
Cleavage: Perfect
Specific gravity: 3.40-3.70
Refractive index: 1.733-1.744
Dispersion: none
Pleochroism: Definite; yellow-red, rose-red, red-yellow
Fluorescence: None
Occurrence: Australia, Canada (Vancouver), India, Malagasy Republic, Mexico, Russia (the Urals), South Africa, Sweden, United States (Franklin, New Jersey)
Astrology: Taurus
Chakra: 4th (heart) chakra
Like rhodochrosite, rhodonite’s name comes from the Greek rhodos, which means rose. The two rose-red minerals have often been confused, but rhodochrosite shows white streaks of calcium and reacts to acids. Rhodonite, which does not react to acids, can usually be distinguished by its black dendritic inclusions, which are manganese oxide. (Occasionally, rhodonite will be solid rose-red, showing none of the black.) Transparent or translucent rhodonite crystals are extremely rare and fragile. Most rhodonite is cut in cabochons or beads. It’s also been carved for ornamental objects and was a favorite material of the Russian court during the 18th century.
Considered a minor gem, there isn’t much historical lore about rhodonite, but it’s been widely embraced by the metaphysical gem healers, who connect the stone with the heart. Rhodonite is said to clear and activate the heart chakra, help balance the emotions, and aid one in becoming more heart-centered. It’s also used to strength meditation that is based on the use of mantras. As a healing stone, rhodonite is said to be particularly effective when dealing with grief or emotional shock or panic. It’s considered a stone that can help heal old psychic and emotional wounds, because its energy is attuned to the energy of forgiveness. In magical traditions, rhodonite has also been worn to counter confusion and to shut down the psychic centers when one is feeling vulnerable.
Rhodonite beads are perfect when strung with either black onyx or black, white, or grey pearls. Rhodonite also goes well with its sister gem, rhodochrosite. To add sparkle to rhodonite beads, string them with pink tourmaline, cherry quartz, red garnets, and/or ruby. For other opaque stones that echo and will complement the black patterns in rhodonite, combine rhodonite beads with any of the black agates or hypersthene. |
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