Garnets Through the Ages

Garnets are found throughout the world. Their history and lore dates back to ancient Egypt. From there, humankind's fascination with this stone of many colors follows the line of time through Ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, Asia, and into the Americas. Photo ©2020 EraGem Jewelry   Garnets enjoy a long history of adoration, beginning in Ancient Egypt. From deep red, to violet purple, and also including green, orange, and blue, these gorgeous gemstones form in the most beautiful range of species and colors. Over the years, new sources continue cropping up.  

Where in the World?

Most modern garnets originate in the United States, Sri Lanka, India, or Brazil. Specific locations produce specific species. For example, the best almandine garnets come from Mozambique, India, and Brazil. (source) Going back in time, several species have also been found in Germany, Canada, Tanzania, Russia, and Kenya. Indeed, one of the most exciting finds happened in Bohemia in the 1850s. But I'm getting ahead of myself.  

Garnets Timeline

Garnets of Old

The story of mankind's fascination with garnets begins around 3100 BC, in ancient Egypt. Excavations of Egyptian burial sites uncovered garnet necklaces adorning the necks of mummified pharaohs. According to the GIA, these revered rulers carried their prized garnet jewels with them into the afterlife. (source) A similar reverence surfaced in the historical records of Asia. According to Origin Stones, ancient tribal warriors added garnets to their weapons. They believed these powerful blood red stones inflicted greater damage to their enemies. (source)

The Garnets of Rome

Treading upon the sands of time, men carried garnets with them along all the major trade routes. The ancient Romans, in particular, fell in love with the richly colored crystals. Carved into intaglios and other forms, these gemstones served well as seals. With them, nobles and merchants stamped important contracts and documents in order to prove authorship. By the time the ancient naturalist Pliny the Elder began documenting the history of gemstones, he considered garnets one of the most widely traded gemstone in the world. (source)

The Germanic Barbarians

The warring tribes of Barbarians began systematically attempting to invade Rome during the 3rd and 4th centuries BCE. These Germanic people incorporated garnets into their works of art after settling along the Danube and Rhine rivers. Though for many centuries the Roman military fought hard against the invasions of these barbarians, eventually a shift took place. Those foreigners living more settled lives alongside Roman citizens availed themselves of Roman culture. In so doing, they also adopted some of Rome's most beautiful gemstones. Garnets rated among their favorites, as seen in many of the cloisonné works these Germanic peoples created. (source)

Religious Use of Garnet

The Talmud, a collection of laws and legends belonging to the Jewish people, describes a garnet which Noah used to light his lantern during the dark days of the flood. The Talmud dates back to the 2nd century CE. The Jews also believed that King Solomon wore garnets into battle. Following this line of time forward almost a millennia, you find both Christian and Muslim Crusaders wearing garnets onto the battlefield. Throughout the middle ages, clergy and noblemen also favored the garnet. They often wore them mounted in finger rings.

Bohemian Garnets

Although the rich red Bohemian garnets first surfaced in the 1500s, they rose in popularity during the Victorian Era. During this prolific time period, jewelers favored these Czech gems fashioned in the rose cut. Sometimes they literally paved an entire piece in these gorgeous red stones. At other times, they used them as accent stones intermixed with a variety of other stones, including opals, pearls, and diamonds. The Victorians also favored andradite garnets, a beautiful green species found in the Ural Mountains of Russia. Discovered in the mid-1800s, these grew in popularity so much that by the turn of the century they became a hallmark of Victorian jewelry. For example, this gorgeous Victorian brooch features opal cabochons and faceted demantoid garnets.

History as a Means to Authenticate Jewelry

While these walks down memory lane serve as a fun distraction from the every day mundane, they also serve a more important purpose. Knowing the history of a gemstone allows you as a jewelry enthusiast to begin to place particular pieces of jewelry into the overall timeline of history. For instance, knowing that specific locations yield individual species of garnets, allows you to do more in-depth research into the mining operations, as well as the quality and rarity of that particular species. Furthermore, knowing which species of garnets punctuated different jewelry eras allows you to more easily authenticate a piece of jewelry someone claims is from that certain era. For example, if you saw a garnet jewel labeled Victorian that looked authentic, you could examine it more closely to ensure that the mounted gemstones actually match up with the species available at that time in history. Knowing how to talk about the history of a gemstone, as well as how to use gemstones to authenticate a jewel's provenance empowers you to make wise jewelry purchases. With that understanding, you can buy confidently, knowing that you're getting your money's worth. ~Angela Magnotti Andrews