Red garnet is a fine stone belonging to the crystallizing nesosilicate family. The stone takes on a wide range of colors, from black to red, yellow, green or brown. The red garnet owes its attractive color to the iron inclusions present in the chemical composition of the gem. Red garnet has a cubic crystal system, is translucent and has a white vein. Its luster is vitreous and its hardness is approximately 6-7.5 on the Mohs scale.
Garnets are typically relatively abundant stones, found on all five continents, especially in areas that have seen volcanic activity. The most notable deposits of garnets are found in Brazil, North America, India, Tanzania, Madagascar, Russia and even some French regions.
History of the red garnet
The Red Garnet is a jewel that has a long history, as its success dates back to antiquity. Theophrastus gave the stone the name of anthrax, which in Latin means "coal". Pliny the Elder did not deviate too much from his predecessor's name when he called the almandine stone carbuncolo, which literally means "burning coal".
This name certainly refers to the color of the red garnet. Only in the Middle Ages did the name "garnet" appear, first used by the German theologian and philosopher Albert the Great. It would have been inspired by the Latin name malum granatum, which means pomegranate, both to refer to the color of the red garnet, and to refer to its shape as a grain or granum in Latin.
The great civilizations of the Mediterranean basin, from Ancient Egypt to Ancient Rome and Greece, have always used red garnets in the manufacture of delicate ornaments and jewels.
Mentioned in the Bible and the Koran, the stone had a great religious value even for the Vikings, who decorated their dead with red garnets thinking of helping the dead find their way to Valhalla.
In Europe, red garnet was one of the favorite stones of crowned heads and high nobility. In Asia, British soldiers fighting the Hunza warriors in northern Pakistan were hit by red garnet bullets. The warriors of Hunza believed that red garnet stones gave bullets a more lethal character than lead.
Virtue of red garnet
Bloodstone par excellence, red garnet is renowned in lithotherapy for its virtues on the heart and circulatory system. The stone would be a good way to strengthen the heart, regulate blood circulation and eliminate blood disorders. Red garnet would also have benefits for revitalizing the liver, spleen and kidneys. Its anti-inflammatory virtues would make it a good remedy for arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatism, abscesses, skin diseases and both internal and external injuries.
On the mental and spiritual level, the red garnet is a soothing stone, which brings calm and serenity where there was turmoil and turmoil. Stone of courage and self-confidence, it helps to draw on inner strength to overcome obstacles and achieve one's goals. Red garnet is also said to foster a sense of selflessness and compassion, promoting a sense of listening and understanding others without judgment. Red Garnet is a stone of life that provides the confidence, energy and strength needed to face daily difficulties.
An excellent anchor, it helps to overcome depression and discouragement due to the failures and failures that life can put in a person's path.
On a karmic level, red garnet is the favorite stone of the root chakra. It is ideal for the astrological signs of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Leo and Scorpio.
The purification of the red garnet is carried out with a certain regularity every 7-8 days with running water. To recharge it, just expose it to sunlight on a pile of quartz.
