Garnet is a member of a family of rock-forming minerals. These minerals can be mined and disengaged from a variety of rock formations like igneous rocks, and sedimentary rocks. On the whole, garnet is often found in areas where there are sedimentary rocks with higher formations of aluminum, as aluminum is the base element for the establishment of this mineral type.
Garnet can also be unearthed from schists and gneisses, as well as rocks that show metamorphic qualities. Dried lava flows are also an excellent source of this mineral. Where there used to be volcanic eruptions, you will find minerals like garnet.
The garnet has many colors, and unlike other gemstones, this gemstone is used not just for jewelry settings but also for industrial applications from water-jet cutting to the manufacturing of various abrasive media for blasting purposes.
Garnet has also been found useful in creating granules to filter drinking water. Garnet has so many uses, and we are continually inspired by how man is maximizing the use of precious stones in making people’s lives better.
Table of Contents
How is Garnet Made?
Garnet is part of a family that includes other minerals like pyrope, grossular, and uvarovite. All of these minerals exhibit similar physical qualities, from having a particularly vitreous luster to being transparent to translucent, depending on the samples being observed.
They are all brittle, and they do not have the perfect cleavage observable in other minerals used in jewelry. Garnet can be found in a variety of places, from rocks to aggregate formations, to pebbles that have been carried downstream through natural means.
Plate boundaries are the best place to locate garnet as shale needs to interact with metamorphic processes to pave the way for the formation of different minerals. The crystallization of garnet requires the stability of many factors, including the generous presence of aluminum, as we have mentioned earlier.
Garnet begins as tiny grains that begin to metamorphose the moment the conditions are right. As the formation progresses, they grow in size, and metamorphism is a massive factor in whether or not the garnet is going to continue growing unabated. When observed under a microscope, bits of garnet are going to reveal internal inclusions that are consistent with the mineral family. Threads of mica, for instance, can quickly form around the core garnet, expanding the size and weight of the mineral. The formation of inclusions as a crystal grows in size is also the reason why it is usually impossible to find large quantities of minerals with zero imperfections or crystalline inclusions.
Outside the world of jewelry, garnet is used as an industrial-level abrasive. Garnets register 6.5 to about 7 in the Mosh scale of hardness, which makes it a perfect harsh for different purposes. What manufacturers do is they crush granite, and this creates a myriad of rectangular pieces of garnet that are perfect for smoothing and rubbing surfaces.
Granite abrasives are most useful in wood workshops and similar places where artisans and workers require solid abrasive surfaces to finish their work. Additionally, granite is also crushed into finer particles so they can be sold as abrasive powders. In the United States, the state of Idaho specializes in creating abrasives made of the mineral garnet.
Meanings and Healing Properties of Garnet
The name of the garnet is related to the name of the fruit – pomegranate – because of its severance. The deep red color that is common in garnet probably caught the eye of its discoverer, and the name stuck. The ancient jewelers and magic practitioners who first used it integrated it into talismans and jewelry because they believed that it is a ward or protection against the darkness.
Garnet has traditionally been associated with romantic and physical love. It can be used by couples who want to strengthen the bonds between them. Aristocrat and royalty often used garnet to protect themselves and to improve the loyalty and faith of those around them.
In voyaging, garnet is explicitly used to set the intention of safe sailing, so the boat or ship will be able to safely navigate back to land no matter what the weather conditions. Garnet can be used to associate your spaces with the area, the earth, and all that is good that can come from nature. The almost subdued, organic quality of garnet and similar gemstones can be useful for people who need to ground themselves, so they can finally let go of the negative energies that may be affecting their lives thus far.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the mineral garnet is used to remove chi blockages across the body. This is done when a detoxification process is at hand, and the person with blocked chi is already suffering from energy imbalances in his/her institution. Garnet can immediately introduce warmth into your body, which is both comforting and healing. People who are suffering from depression and anxiety can benefit from having a garnet close by.
Who Should Wear Garnet?
Garnet is the gemstone of passion and can well be used to improve both sexuality and sensuality. It is connected to two chakras: the base chakra and the heart chakra.
It is the birthstone of January, and also happens to be the gemstone of the following zodiac signs: Virgo, Aries, and Leo. Use garnet if you are interested in transmuting your energies and bringing more positive thoughts into the equation. This gemstone is also useful for past life regression or recall, and you may tap its natural powers so that you can be more inclined to success and inspiration in life.
Are you feeling left out in a crowd? Use garnet to attract more admirers and improve your popularity for all the right reasons. Use garnet also to enhance and increase your self-esteem and self-confidence. Garnet is also helpful for stimulating physical metabolism and can also help heal problems related to the bones and joints, and even the spinal column. Damaged DNA can also slowly be recovered with gemstones like garnet.
