Garnet is a stone as ancient as it is covered in legends. There were legends about the magical properties of pomegranate in all the places where this stone was found. Its habitat is very wide: there are deposits in Asia, Europe, Africa and even America. Due to the fact that certain types of garnet come to the surface in the form of placers, many ancient peoples had the opportunity to become acquainted with them.
History and origin
It is impossible to tell the full story of the pomegranate briefly, it is too voluminous. A description of the stone is found in the records of medieval scribes from Europe, Persia and Arabia. It is found in gold jewelry of ancient Scythia; the inhabitants of ancient Rome were familiar with it, who gave the stone the name “carbuncle” and their neighbors, the Hellenes, who called it “anfrax”.
Garnet stone The ancient Greeks most often worked with the dark variety of garnet. The name "anfrax" means "coal". At the same time, the ancients often called all minerals of red color, corresponding structure and transparency, garnet.
Noble spinel, some varieties of hyacinth and other scarlet or crimson crystals were confused with garnet (or, more precisely, they were not distinguished from it).
True, garnet has always been contrasted with ruby, which is harder and has a different, more perfect play of color. It began to be considered a true precious stone only in the 17th century; before that it had rather a utilitarian meaning. Ancient people valued the medicinal properties of the gem more, in particular the ability attributed to it to stop bleeding.
In Europe and the Middle East, they mined mainly the red variety of stone, two subspecies of which were later called pyrope and almandine. The mineral received its modern name thanks to the “Phoenician apple” - the pomegranate fruit tree, for the characteristic garnet color of its crystals. The word “granatus” itself means “grain-like” - this refers to the dark red translucent grains of this plant. Only at the beginning of the Renaissance did scientists discover that garnets can be pink, purple, yellowish, colorless, and even black or green; the latter are sometimes confused with chrysolite.
In medieval Rus' this stone was called “bechet” or “venisa”, sometimes “worm” or “wormy yacht”.
Physico-chemical properties
From the point of view of physicists, chemists and geologists, all minerals of the garnet family have a complex molecular structure. The basis is silicon oxide in combination with various metals - mainly iron, manganese, magnesium, and less often aluminum and chromium. A separate group of garnets contains calcium and metal compounds.
The color of the crystal depends on the metal impurities. Iron gives a red color, manganese gives a yellowish color, aluminum lightens the color, and an admixture of titanium makes it black. Calcium garnets are mostly yellow or green.
Differences in the chemical composition have little effect on the properties of pomegranate; they are approximately similar in all types. This stone has a hardness of up to 7.5 Mohs, a vitreous luster and a medium density.
Garnet stones | Formula | X3Y2Z3φ12, where X are elements in the dodecahedral position; Y – elements in octahedral position; Z – elements in tetrahedral position; φ – O, OH or F |
| Color | Very rarely colorless; mostly painted in different colors, with the exception of blue |
| Shine | Glass, greasy, resin, diamond |
| Transparency | Transparent, translucent, see-through |
| Hardness | 6 6,5 7 7,5 |
| Cleavage | Not observed |
| Kink | Conchoidal, uneven |
| Density | 3,4 - 4,3 |
Mining locations
The places where garnet is mined have different geological characteristics. Some subspecies of this mineral, for example pyrope, are mined along with diamonds, in diamond-bearing rocks (kimberlite pipes). Such deposits are located in South Africa and Russian Yakutia. The most common subspecies, almandine, is found throughout the world in shale and gneiss rocks, both in the thickness of mountain ranges and in placers. Calcium garnets, such as grossular, are often found in limestone rocks.
In Russia, the largest concentrations of garnets are located on the Karelian Isthmus and on the Kola Peninsula, mainly almandines. In the Urals, a rare and beautiful uvarovite garnet is mined.
The largest garnet deposits in the world, besides our country, are located in the USA and Canada. They are found in Brazil, Madagascar, Finland, Azerbaijan and some European countries. But the gem mined there is distinguished by its unique color.
Colors and varieties
Classic garnets have all shades of red; this is their main distinguishing feature. Unlike ruby, the fruits of the “Phoenician apple” are not so transparent; they have a slight moiré haze. Some specimens are purple, some are black, others are distinguished by their play of green tint.
Main varieties of pomegranate:
- Pyrope. One of the few that matters in jewelry. Rich red color, closer to crimson.
Pyrope stone - Almandine. The most common of all garnets. Red almandine differs from pyrope in its lighter shade, but the stone can also be purple and almost black.
Almandine stone - Spessartine is brownish, orange, sometimes yellow. Mined in Germany.
Spessartine stone - Grossular. In Latin - "gooseberry". It got its name because of its color similarity to gooseberries; it is the same greenish-brown with hints of yellow. There are grossulars of emerald shades.
Grossular stone - Uvarovite is a Ural garnet of rich emerald color.
The stone will boil down - Hessonite is the color of honey.
Hessonite stone - Andradite is a Brazilian variety of garnet. There are different colors - red, yellow, greenish.
Andradite stone - Melanite - black.
Melanite stone - Leucogranate is a transparent stone. It is more important for industry than for jewelry.
Leucogranate stone
It is difficult to distinguish a garnet of an “unusual” color from another precious or semi-precious stone. This can only be done in the laboratory.
Artificial pomegranate
Since this stone is important for industry - from the manufacture of abrasives to the creation of laser emitters - they learned to synthesize it back in the first half of the 20th century. Artificial garnet is not a fake in the full sense of the word, since it was not originally intended for use in the jewelry industry.
Moreover, using high-quality synthetic garnets to imitate real ones is pointless: due to the nature of the production process, the price of an artificial garnet that looks similar to a natural one is comparable to the price of a natural one. But thanks to synthesis, it is possible to grow stones of any color and shade, for example dark blue (such garnets do not occur in nature).
Synthetic stones are usually used for industrial needs. They are added as additives to mortars, used to create various elements in microelectronics, laser systems are constructed based on them, and so on.
Medicinal properties
The healing properties are mainly attributed to the red varieties of this stone - pyrope and almandine, since these are the most ancient known subspecies of garnet.
Less often they talk about grossular.
The importance of garnet in lithotherapy is great, but you need to be aware that in most cases this does not mean any stones, but red ones. And their main property is based on the ancient rules of sympathetic magic. This means that like influences like - red as blood, the garnet has power over blood.
This means that:
- pomegranate can stop wound bleeding;
- it promotes accelerated regeneration;
- it normalizes blood pressure.
In addition, it is useful for health to prevent colds by wearing a garnet in gold - it prevents many pulmonary diseases. A stone set in silver is suitable for people who have weak immunity and, due to this, an increased risk of contracting a sore throat, pneumonia or other infectious diseases.
Gold ring with garnet Pomegranate is able to give its owner vigor and vitality to cope with almost any illness or stress.
Magic properties
The magical properties of the stone primarily include the ability described above to influence the blood, as well as fill its owner with energy and give strength for new achievements. No wonder rings with garnets were very popular among the crusader knights who fought in difficult and unusual conditions for Europeans.
The ancient magic of the pomegranate patronizes people who are strong, purposeful, but at the same time - a key condition - fighting for a good cause.
A person's occupation can be anything - warrior, politician, businessman, artist. There are two key conditions: he must have a creative beginning, that is, bring something new into his activities, constantly improve and move forward, and must not have evil, dark thoughts. Garnet is a stone of fair combat, frontal attack. He can destroy a swindler and an intriguer, lead him into a cycle of intrigues he has woven and confuse him. Often the gem brings such people to severe mental illness, which in the material sphere goes hand in hand with bankruptcy and ruin.
Red pomegranate helps those people who want to develop themselves and develop their business.
It is very important for the owner of this stone to have a clear, formulated goal, otherwise a “confused” stone will push the owner from side to side, in some cases even provoke diseases.
Pomegranate amulets, talismans and amulets are capable of:
- help the owner identify hidden enemies;
- heal wounds;
- protect from water hazards;
- help in love affairs, especially in winning the heart of an unapproachable girl;
- enhance the charisma and charm of the owner.
Please note: Garnet jewelry is dangerous for some people. This stone enhances the primitive nature of man, awakens the predator, aggressor, and beast in him. In this way, it helps people suffering from a lack of aggression (in some life situations this is a minus), but who are naturally aggressive, with a strong “beast” inside, are turned into monsters by the pomegranate.
Zodiac compatibility
Astrologers believe that according to the horoscope, garnet corresponds to the fire element, although in this case it means only the red variety of the stone. The garnet stone in different forms refers to different zodiac signs.
Red stones - pyrope and almandine - are suitable for Leo, Capricorn, Sagittarius, and to a lesser extent - Virgo. At the same time, he lacks compatibility with water signs, especially Pisces and Cancer. Taurus also does not like this mineral.
Grossular by zodiac sign is suitable for everyone. This is one of the most peaceful stones, but its strength is less than that of its scarlet counterparts.
| Zodiac sign | Compatibility |
|---|---|
| Aries | + |
| Taurus | - |
| Twins | + |
| Cancer | + |
| Lion | + |
| Virgo | + |
| Scales | + |
| Scorpion | +++ |
| Sagittarius | + |
| Capricorn | +++ |
| Aquarius | + |
| Fish | + |
(“+++” - fits perfectly, “+” - can be worn, “-” - is strictly contraindicated)
Compatibility with other stones
In this matter, everything is not easy for pomegranate. The fact is that different types of this stone belong to different elements. Pyrope, almandine, grossular are Fire stones. But, for example, uvarovite is the stone of Air. Fire and Air are friendly elements, but Fire, unlike Air, does not combine with Earth.
So, you can choose stones that suit each other according to this scheme. All grenades combine with:
- diamond and diamond;
- ruby;
- coral;
- pyrite;
- heliolite;
- rock crystal;
- topaz;
- amethyst;
- carnelian;
- golden beryl.
Garnet beads You should not wear them with Water stones - a mutual contradiction will arise (not so strong in the case of uvarovite).
In jewelry, first of all, avoid combinations of garnet:
- with emerald;
- opal;
- aquamarine;
- moonstone;
- alexandrite;
- pearls;
- tourmaline;
- zircon.
In addition to uvarovite, it should also be used with caution. These include:
- jasper;
- chalcedony;
- agate;
- onyx;
- malachite;
- turquoise;
- obsidian;
- morion.
As well as other opaque minerals.
Application in products
Currently, the market is saturated with products containing garnet, mostly almandine. Such jewelry is worn mainly by women.
For men who want to look impressive, for example, gold or silver cufflinks with dark pyrope are made.
Excluding industrial applications, it is used as inserts in rings, earrings and pendants. Cut - cabochon or diamond. Sometimes the processing is reduced to a minimum: for example, heavy beads made from uncut, but only polished, red garnet look beautiful.
Pomegranate cufflinks In addition, this stone was often used for precious inlays in luxury items.
How to spot a fake
The cost of a pomegranate is not very high, but it is counterfeited.
It is quite difficult to distinguish natural stone from synthetic stone.
Their hardness, density and shine are the same; moreover, synthetics can be harder. To determine the authenticity of a stone, use one of the following rules:
- rub a stone on wool - a natural mineral, like an ebonite stick, becomes electrified, a synthetic one does not;
- natural stone has a heterogeneous color, and artificial stone has a bright color;
- Specimens larger than a coffee bean should be considered suspicious - such stones are rare in nature.
Natural stone differs from painted glass in hardness - it is much harder.
How to wear and care
Rings with garnet are worn on the middle finger - if the frame is made of silver, then on the left hand, if made of gold, then on the right hand. There are no specific requirements for wearing beads, pendants or earrings, with the exception of combinations with other stones.
Gold ring with garnet A dirty product should be washed with a weak soap or saline solution. You can add a couple of drops of ammonia. Wipe with a cloth, do not use hard sponges or abrasives. Store in a separate bag.
Favorable time to buy
You should purchase jewelry with garnet in gold or silver in sunny weather, on a bright day.
If you purchased or received a ring or beads with garnet as a gift from another person, you should clean them by leaving them in running water for one day.
Among jewelry stones, a special place is occupied by synthetic stones, which have no natural analogues. For a long time, technologies for growing such crystals have been intensively developed in our country, since they are widely used for scientific and technical purposes, for example, in laser technology, where the purity and defect-free nature of the crystals are especially important. It was these properties, combined with the ability to obtain crystals of various colors, that attracted the attention of jewelers. Currently, synthetic stones, which have no natural analogues, are widely used in jewelry, either independently or as imitations of more expensive natural jewelry stones.
By far the most popular synthetic stones, which have no natural analogues, are
- cubic zirconias,
- yttrium aluminum garnets (YAG),
- green and blue quartz,
- glass,
- Less common ones include gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) and lithium niobate.
Yttrium-aluminum garnets and some other varieties of synthetic garnets appeared in the early 60s and gained wide recognition in the jewelry industry as a cutting material. The most widespread among synthetic garnets are yttrium-aluminum (YAG) and gadolinium-gallium (GGG). YAG and especially GGG crystals are widely used in science and technology, and this is what stimulated the development of work on their synthesis and growth. The use of synthetic garnets as jewelry stones was facilitated by the development of cost-effective methods for their cultivation - methods of directed crystallization and zone melting.
Yttrium aluminum garnet is the only synthetic garnet that is still used in jewelry as imitation gemstones. Pure YAGs are colorless; the introduction of impurities makes it possible to obtain various colors, for example, an admixture of chromium - green, cobalt - blue, manganese - red, titanium - yellow. Colorless YAG is used as an imitation of diamond, and green is so similar to demantoid that it is almost impossible to distinguish it visually.
Gadolinium gallium garnet is a transparent material with a faint brown tint and a very high luster, and at one time had some success as an imitation diamond. The diagnostic properties of HGG are given in the table. It should be noted its low hardness, which did not allow it to become widespread as a jewelry material.
Among the internal features in synthetic garnets, zoning, gas and solid inclusions, blockiness and fracturing are often observed. Diagnostics of YAG and other synthetic garnets does not pose any particular difficulties.
Recently, the most popular of all synthetic materials that imitate diamond is cubic zirconia - stabilized cubic zirconium oxide. For the first time, cubic zirconia crystals were grown in the mid-60s in our country at the Physics Institute. P.I. Lebedeva A.N. USSR (FIAN), after which the resulting crystals were named. The scallop melting method is currently used to grow cubic zirconia crystals. Possessing a set of properties that are important for use in scientific and technical purposes, cubic zirconia, however, very soon after the development of the method for their production began to be used in the jewelry industry. This was facilitated primarily by the beauty and striking external resemblance of colorless cut cubic zirconia to diamonds, as well as their ability to be painted, with the introduction of chromophoric impurities, into various bright colors. For example, the admixture of europium gives cubic zirconia a pink color, iron - yellowish, cobalt - dark purple, vanadium - green, copper - yellow, and series - bright red. Recently, Russia has developed a technology for producing opaque white, pink and black varieties, which act as imitation pearls, black chalcedony or black diamond. Today, diagnosing cubic zirconia does not present any particular difficulties (diagnostic properties include density, hardness, and UV fluorescence).
Cubic zirconia, along with synthetic garnets, are worthy rivals to natural jewelry stones. At the same time, cubic zirconia, characterized by higher refractive index and dispersion values, have a brighter brilliance and play of light than, for example, yttrium-aluminum garnets.
The next synthetic crystal that has no natural analogues and is used in jewelry is lithium niobate, also known by the trade name "linobate". It is grown using the Czochralski method, single crystals are drawn from the niobate melt in a platinum crucible. Lithium niobate is birefringent, but its refractive index (see table) is close to that of diamond. Because of its "silky" appearance, due to its fairly high birefringence, and low hardness, linobat is one of the least valuable diamond imitations. Colorless in its pure form, lithium niobate can be colored green by an admixture of chromium, yellow by an admixture of nickel, blue by an admixture of cobalt, and red by an admixture of ferrous iron. Due to its high birefringence, lithium niobate can easily be mistaken for zircon, but by this same feature it can be easily distinguished from diamond or demantoid.
Various artificial glasses have long been used as imitations of natural jewelry stones, and they still continue to be widely used in jewelry. The name “rhinestones” found in the literature also refers to glass. It should be noted that there are also a variety of natural glasses - moldavites, obsidian, lechatelierite, etc.; below only glasses obtained artificially and have nothing to do with natural ones will be described. In color, glass can very accurately imitate most jewelry stones, especially since stones with a low refractive index usually have a vitreous luster. Although the properties of glasses can vary widely, reliable diagnostic features have now been identified for identifying glass imitations. The most important are: inclusions of gas bubbles (sometimes quite large), anomalous birefringence (not always observed), conchoidal fracture (glass is quite brittle), refractive indices and density (these constants for glasses rarely correspond to the constants of simulated stones), and glasses often contain so-called strata, reminiscent of curved zoning.
Among synthetic stones, which have no natural analogues, should also be noted blue, green quartz and blue synthetic forsterite. Although quartz and forsterite occur in nature, the listed color varieties in combination with impurities and processes leading to the appearance of such a color do not exist in nature. Synthetic quartz is grown using the hydrothermal method. To obtain a blue color, an admixture of cobalt is introduced into the system, and iron is added to obtain green and brown varieties.
For experimental purposes, forsterite containing an admixture of cobalt was synthesized in small quantities. With the introduction of even a small amount of this impurity, synthetic forsterite acquires a blue color and strong pleochroism in red tones, which allows it to act as an imitation of tanzanite (blue zoisite, popular abroad).
To some extent, to the category described jewelry synthetic stones Stones that have natural analogues can also be included, but natural stones are found in the form of smallest individuals, so they are not used in jewelry. The most famous among these stones is moissanite, one of the lesser known is zincite. Both have a high refractive index. Moissanite has been used as a diamond imitation since 1996, and zincite is less common because it has low hardness.
Products with synthetic stones, which have no natural analogues, occupy a stable position in the market in the sector of inexpensive jewelry available to a wide range of consumers. Their properties (such as color, dispersion, hardness) and high quality indicators allow them to be successfully used as imitations, i.e. as an alternative to expensive jewelry stones. In some cases, these stones look even better than natural stones; for example, colorless cubic zirconia is superior to a diamond in its “game” and brilliance in evening light. Since synthesis technologies are in constant development, we can expect the emergence of new jewelry materials and new varieties of existing ones.
Table. Diagnostic properties of some synthetic stones that have no natural analogues.
|
Chemical formula |
Refractive index |
Birefringence |
Dispersion |
Density |
UV fluorescence |
Hardness |
|
|
cubic zirconia |
isotropic |
DV: yellow-green or yellow |
|||||
|
isotropic |
DV: bright, depending on impurities |
||||||
|
isotropic |
|||||||
|
Lithium niobate |
|||||||
|
Glass |
isotropic |
Maxim Viktorov
Ksenia Rosenberg
Gemological Center of Moscow State University
granatus - similar to grains) - a group of minerals representing mixtures of two isomorphic series: R 2+ 3 Al 2 (SiO 4) 3 and Ca 3 R 3+ 2 (SiO 4) 3. General formula: R 2+ 3 R 3+ 2 3, where R 2+ - Mg, Fe, Mn, Ca; R 3+ - Al, Fe, Cr. Usually, in a narrow sense, garnets mean only transparent red stones, almandines and pyropes (see below). Their dark red crystals resemble the seeds of the “Phoenician apple” fruit - pomegranate. This is probably where the name of the stone came from. In early times, garnets were often called "lalami", a name combining several blood-red gemstones: ruby, spinel and garnet. :316
Main representatives (minerals) - garnet series
- Pyralspites
- Pyrope Mg 3 Al 2 3 - from Greek. “pyropos” - similar to fire (due to its red color). The color is dark red. Found in ultramafic rocks rich in magnesium and their destruction products. Characteristic of diamondiferous rocks of South Africa and Yakutia.
- Almandine Fe 2+ 3 Al 2 3 - by the name of the area - Alamanda (Asia Minor). Color red, brown, purple. The most common of pomegranates. Common in crystalline schists and gneisses.
- Spessartine Mn 3 Al 2 3 - named Spessart (Bavaria, Germany). Color pink, red, yellowish-brown. Found in pegmatites and crystalline schists (Eastern Siberia, Karelia).
- Ugrandites
- "Hypothetical" grenades. The hypothetical members of the garnet series are not found in pure form, but may form a significant proportion in natural minerals.
- Knorringitis Mg 3 Cr 2 3 .
- Calderite Mn 3 Fe 2 3 .
- Skiagit Fe 3 Fe 2 3 .
- Goldmanite Ca 3 V 2 3 .
Based on the nature of isomorphic substitutions, two series have been identified, which are divided into series:
- Series of pyralspites (magnesium-iron-manganese garnets): pyrope, almandine, spessartine.
- A series of ugrandites (calcium garnets), including three series: the grossular-andradite series (the most common), the andradite-uvarovite series and the andradite-shorlomite series.
The second series includes garnets in which part is replaced by 4 - the so-called hydrogarnets. Separate names are assigned to garnets with 75 mol.% of the corresponding component. There are limited isomorphic substitutions between garnets of the two series.
Historical overview
Already by the beginning of the 16th century, several varieties of garnets were distinguished in Russia, and until the 19th century, two main names were assigned to them: “bechet” and “venisa”, which they tried to correctly identify and separate from other, more expensive varieties of red transparent gems. The Trade Book directly warned merchants: “You can’t buy bechet for lal. The nobility is drawn to the color: it’s like bubbles.”. Or here’s another recommendation from the same “Trading Book”: “And take care that they don’t sell you vinis for lal; and the vinisa stone is red, and its color is runny". Here both varieties of garnet are mentioned in contrast to lalu, which in those days was the name given to red noble spinel, a stone rarer and more expensive than pyropes or almandines. :10
The word “venisa” mentioned several times (or vinis) comes from the distorted (Russified) Persian “benefse”, which means purple. Al-Biruni in his “Mineralogy” more than once noticed that the red color of garnets is not without a violet (lilac) tint. And in fact, under different lighting conditions, the color can change from fiery red to almost purple.
As for “bechet” (or bechet), then his name goes back to the Arabic name for almandine garnets - “bijazi”. At one time, the medieval scholastic scientist Albertus Magnus, at his own discretion, translated the Arabic word “bijazi” into learned Latin as "granatus", in other words - grainy. Thus, he emphasized the characteristic feature of natural garnetites. Their red (or not red) intergrown crystals very often resemble juicy pomegranate fruits. :11-12 The same “trading book” said: “... when a stone sweeps, it cheers the heart and drives away sadness and inappropriate thoughts, increases reason and honor...”
Under the unifying name “worm-shaped yacht” in Rus', a variety of (transparent) red stones were known: among them there was a real oriental ruby, and garnets of all stripes, and there was also Ceylon hyacinth (a brown variety of zircon, which was called iokinthos). Starting from the 16th century, the bloody Bohemian garnet also came to Rus', which, according to Boethius de Boot, the author of a famous work on stones (1609), was formed from frozen water drops, colored with bloody vapor. :63-64 Red noble spinel under the name Lala was also in great use among our ancestors, who did not mix this stone with yakhont.
Properties
Garnet crystal
Applications and deposits
Garnets are used in the abrasive (garnet skins, powders and grinding wheels) and construction industries (additives to cement and ceramic masses), sometimes as a substitute for sapphire and ruby in instrument making, in electronics (as a ferromagnet). For industrial needs, methods are being developed for the synthesis of artificial analogues of some garnets with specified properties: crystals for lasers (Nd:YAG laser). Mostly ferrous garnets (mainly almandine), less commonly spessartine and andradite, are suitable for the abrasive industry. Of great importance for determining the suitability of garnets in industry are their high hardness, the ability, when crushed, to split into particles with sharp-angled cutting edges, and adhesion to paper and linen bases.
Pomegranate rosary
Transparent and translucent, beautifully colored garnets are used in jewelry. Gemstones usually include the following (in order of increasing value: almandine, pyrope, rhodolite, hessonite, grossular, topazolite, demantoid. Well-designed crystals, brushes and druses make excellent collection material. The most popular crystals are opaque and translucent almandine, homogeneous or zonal structures painted in dark cherry, brownish-brown and brownish-red colors. The source of such crystals and ores is most often sillimanite-containing quartz-biotite schists (Kitelya deposits in Karelia, Makzabak on the Kola Peninsula, Russia; Fort Wrangel, USA, etc. ) And to a lesser extent muscovite-beryl granite pegmatites (Ukraine, Russia; Madagascar; Brazil).
Crystal intergrowths and druses of andradite and hessonite from deposits in calcareous skarns (Dashkesan in Azerbaijan and the Sinerechenskoye deposit of collectible andradite in Primorye) are characterized by high decorativeness. Beautiful almandine intergrowths are found in crystalline schists at the Shchueretskoye deposit in Karelia.
Brushes of small (1-5 mm) shiny garnet crystals, mainly andradite, look very impressive. Of increased value are brushes of rare and beautifully colored varieties of andradite - green demantoid and honey-yellow topazolite, covering the walls of mineralized cracks in ultramafic rocks (Tamvatney deposit in Chukotka, etc.). A relatively rare and highly valued decorative collection material is brushes of emerald-green uvarovite, developing in cracks of chromite ores. The sizes of uvarovite crystals in diameter usually do not exceed 1.0 mm, and brushes containing individuals 3 mm or more in size are considered unique. The bulk of uvarovite collection brushes are mined at the Saranovskoe chromite deposit in the Urals. Abroad, manifestations of uvarovite are known in Finland and Canada.
Kimberlite garnets included in the rock may have a certain collection value. These are mainly purple-red, red and orange-red chromium-bearing pyropes of the peridotite paragenesis (with a knorringite or uvarovite component) and orange calcium-bearing pyrope-almandines of the eclogite paragenesis.
In the Soviet Union, the leader in the development and production of artificial gems was the famous All-Russian Research Institute for the Synthesis of Mineral Raw Materials (VNIISIMS), located in the city of Alexandrov. Naturally, he was a leader in the production of synthetic garnets of all colors: from traditional deep red and pink, to golden yellow, orange and even green, more similar in color to emeralds. It was there, at VNIISIMS, that a unique technology for the production of dark blue garnet was developed, protected by several copyright certificates of the USSR. :182 Unlike other synthetic stones, high-quality artificial garnets are rare, in this quality they are quite comparable to natural precious stones: diamond, alexandrite or demantoid. This is partly due to the high cost of high technology for their production, as well as the cost of raw materials for production. For example, orange-red garnet contains zirconium salts, and dark blue garnet is colored with salts
Is garnet a precious or semi-precious stone? Jewelry store sellers often hear this question from potential buyers. This mineral actually resembles pomegranate seeds, from which it gets its name. Its old Russian name is “lal”. This is what our ancestors called pomegranate in ancient legends and epics. Although rubies and spinels, that is, any transparent red stones, were often called lalas.
Pomegranate cannot help but delight and attract the eye. Dark red transparent garnet crystals attract attention to any jewelry made from it. Is garnet a real gemstone?
To find the answer to this question, it is worth understanding what types of stones are, how they are classified, and which of them can be considered precious.
Classification of stones
Garnets are used mainly for making jewelry. Jewelers divide all natural minerals into three main categories:
- precious;
- semi-precious;
- ornamental.
This division is conditional, since there is no generally accepted classification enshrined in law. However, there is federal law No. 1 of March 26, 1998, which clearly states which stones can be considered precious. These are natural diamonds, natural pearls, alexandrites, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires.
It is believed that a gemstone, in addition to the beautiful appearance that processing and cutting give it, must be rare. All of the above stones are expensive, so they can become a means of saving and investing money. The weight unit of this type of natural minerals is carat (0.2 g)
As you can understand, garnet is not one of them. Ornamental minerals are also used in jewelry production. They are used to make decorative and interior items. Using the cutting method, dishes, ashtrays, candlesticks and larger products (architectural decorations of facades and columns, furniture elements, etc.) are made from ornamental stones. Ornamental stones include chalcedony, carnelian, malachite, agate, onyx and jasper.
Ornamental varieties of pomegranate, as a rule, are little or completely opaque, but have beautiful natural shades and a unique pattern. They are inferior in hardness not only to precious, but also to semi-precious stones.
Based on the fact that garnet cannot be called an ornamental stone, it can be classified as an intermediate group, that is, semi-precious jewelry and ornamental stones. In addition to garnet, peridot, turquoise, topaz, amethyst, beryl, amber, rock crystal, etc. are considered semi-precious.
These are, as a rule, transparent stones that lend themselves well to cutting. But among more than 30 types of garnets, there are also stones that do not have a transparent structure.
Semi-precious and ornamental stones, including garnet, are measured in grams. Hardness is 6.5-7.5 units on the Mohs scale used by jewelers.
Varieties of pomegranate
The natural forms of pomegranate are striking in their diversity. It’s not often that you see a stone found in nature not only in the form of the usual rhombuses, triangles or trapezoids. There are crystals of a very complex structure with 38, 48 and even 72 faces. The most popular types of garnet among jewelers are scarlet pyrope and almandine, distinguished by their bright red, seemingly radiant color.
Moreover, pyropes were most valued in ancient times. They were mined mainly in the Czech Republic and were an indicator of refined taste and prosperity for the nobility. Nowadays, pyropes are very rare and cannot cost less than $200 per carat. The market is filled with synthetically created stones.
Nowadays, thanks to the large number of explored deposits, the primacy has gone to almandines. These are quite large stones. And their price is quite affordable.
Quite rare, and therefore expensive and most valuable are demantoids and tsavorites. Only a specialist can distinguish the shine of their facets from the shine of emeralds. But their sizes are small. The largest stones weigh only 0.4 g (2 carats). Demantoids can have unique shades: pistachio, olive, soft green.
It is these stones that have high levels of purity and transparency, while not being precious, nevertheless can be measured in carats and are quite expensive.
The most expensive and rare type of garnet is majorite, a transparent stone with a radiant purple hue.
This king of garnets can originate either from the impact of a meteorite, or from the pressure present at a depth of at least 400 m. Majorites are found very rarely. They were last discovered in France in 2004, cut and sold for $2,400 per carat. And the most expensive cut majorite weighs almost 4 carats. Its cost is estimated at more than $8 million. How can we call this variety of garnet a semi-precious stone?
However, if a person can explore Mars or at least the Moon, majorite will cease to be an expensive curiosity, since the conditions there are conducive to the formation of this type of mineral (majorite, in particular).
Among the stones most used by jewelers and master carvers are:
- pink rhodoliths;
- greenish urovites;
- orange-brown hessonites;
- light green grossoirs;
- black melanitis;
- multi-colored spessartines, which can be yellowish or pinkish-red.
How to distinguish a real stone from a fake?
The answer to the question of whether a garnet is precious or just a semi-precious stone does not affect the number of fakes that flood the market these days. Pomegranate is faked and grown artificially. How can you protect yourself from purchasing a counterfeit when purchasing?
A specialist will be able to do this based on a number of indicators:
- appearance of the crystal;
- shine;
- transparency indicators;
- hardness;
- density;
- the nature of the fracture;
- lack of cleavage;
- specific gravity;
- refractive index.
It is much more difficult for an ordinary person to distinguish a fake from a real stone. You can use a method known since ancient times. It has been noted that garnets have high pyroelectric properties. That is, if you rub the stone well (before heating), it will begin to attract small debris: fluff and feathers of birds, straws, dust.
Features of the stone:
- Natural garnet can scratch glass.
- It does not have a homogeneous structure and may have microdefects, uneven color and transparency.
- Too large stones are most likely synthetically grown, rather than natural garnets.
