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.
Legends and folklore place garnet among the most ancient of talismans. Not only was it prized as an ornamental jewel, but its strong curative powers and protective energies made it invaluable.
Garnet is also known for its utilization of creative energy. It grounds spirit forces within the body and helps in the ability to work lovingly on the physical plane. It represents primordial fire, the creation of the world out of chaos, purification and love. It is a stone of strong, intense feelings.
The distinctive title Garnet is derived from the Latin name Granatum, a pomegranate, because of the resemblance the granular varieties of Garnet bears to the seeds of that fruit.
Garnets were used in the former Czechoslovakia as far back as the Bronze Age, and in Egypt more than five thousand years ago. They were used in Sumeria around 2100 B.C. and in Sweden between 1000 and 2000 B.C. They were also popular in ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. According to the Talmud, the only light on Noah’s ark was provided by a large Garnet. In Europe during the Middle Ages, Garnet was used to enhance truth, faith and constancy, and to dispel melancholy. As a Warrior’s Stone, Garnet served as a talisman in the Crusades for both the Christians and their Muslim enemies.
Garnet is said to have been one of the twelve stones in the Breastplate of the High Priest, and has been used as a sacred stone by the Native American Indians, the South American Indians, the Aztecs, the African tribal elders, and the Mayans. It acts with speed to expand one’s awareness due to the flash of lightening contained within, and enhances one’s internal fire to bring creative powers to implementation.