Faceted Garnet Stone

Garnets are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition. The word garnet comes from the 14th-century Middle English word garnet, meaning 'dark red'.  The stone’s name comes from the Latin granatum, which means seed. While we now know that garnets come in different colors and species, the ancient Greeks associated the gem’s reddish-purple color with pomegranate seeds, a symbol for passion and everlasting love. Over time, wandering trade smiths and travelers wore the glimmering gems to light their path and protect them as they endeavored through treacherous moonlit roads. Noblemen wore garnet signet rings to stamp their signatures, and the first Anglo-Saxons adorned their weaponry in them to strengthen their warrior skills. If we trace the gem through history, the folklore always depicts garnet as a blood-red gem, despite i