Garnets are usually thought to be red, but in truth they come in an array of beautiful colors. There are many species of garnets, and they can be very tricky to identify. The purplish-red garnets are known as pyrope, and the orangish red are known as almandine. There is a very popular Victorian garnet from the mines in Bohemia in the 1800's. There are some very rare and unusual green garnets called Tsavorite, that are mined in Tanzania in the Tsavo Valley. They are some of the most beautiful in the world. There is also a yellow-green grossular garnet, as well a very unique purple garnet. A yellowish orange garnet is called spessertine, and the rarest of them all is the blue garnet. The garnet gemstone is organized into groups, species and varieties.
Garnet comes from the word 'gernet' which means red, and refers to a seed. This might be a reference to the pomegranate seed. It is 6.5-7.0 on the Mohs scale which registers gemstone hardness, and indicates a gem's durability. It is the traditional gemstone of January. Garnet is a symbol for love, passion, and is given as a gemstone for courage and strength. It has a connection to the blood, as a healing agent which gives energy to the body, and is worn as a talisman to protect the wearer and ward off negative energy. It is one of the most beautiful gemstones in all of the world, and as a gift could not be more relevant to the recipient.