Garnet

Garnet is named after its crystal morphology, which resembles the seeds of a pomegranate, and is a gemstone mineral with a long history and diverse varieties. During ancient Greek and Roman times, garnet was already widely used as jewelry and a healing stone, symbolizing strength, protection, and eternal love. Garnet typically exhibits a unique dodecahedron or tetrakaidecahedron shape. Its stable crystal structure and relatively stable chemical properties allow it to be well-preserved and displayed in various geological environments.

🔮 The minerals in the garnet family are composed of a wide range of chemical components, mainly including aluminum, magnesium, iron, calcium, chromium, manganese, and other elements. Common types of garnet include Pyrope, Almandine, Grossular, Spessartine, Andradite, and Uvarovite. Each type of garnet exhibits unique colors and physical properties due to its specific chemical composition, ranging from red, orange, yellow, green, brown, to black. Even rarely seen blue garnet (a type of Andradite) can be found.

🔮 In Greek mythology, garnet is closely linked to love and friendship. For example, the hero Orpheus, who reached the Underworld, used the brilliance of garnet to impress Hades, the king of the Underworld, in exchange for a reunion with his lover Eurydice. These legendary stories not only endow garnet with rich symbolic meanings but also establish its important position in human history.