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Granatum, Garnet
Carbunculus (also used for other red gems)
Ortus Sanitatis, 1491
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Left and Above: Various Garnets British Mineralogy, Sowerby, 1811 |
Mineralogical name:
The Garnet family is complex and is divided into various types:
1. Aluminium Garnets:
Pyrope (Red, Violet, to Black and Green): Mg3Al2(SiO4)3
Grossularite (White, Yellow, Green, Red, Orange or Black): Ca3Al2(SiO4)3
Hessonite (Orange-red): Ca3Al2(SiO4)3
Spessarite (Yellow, Rose): Mn3Al2(SiO4)3
Almandine (Violet-red, Brown or Black colored): Fe3Al2(SiO4)3
2. Ferrous Garnets:
Andradite: Ca3Fe23+(SiO4)3; (green, yellow, black/brown)
Majorite: Mg3(Fe, Si)2(SiO4)3
Calderite: Mn3Fe2(SiO4)3
Skiagite: Fe32+Fe23+(SiO4)3
3. Chromium Garnets:
Uvarovite (Green to Emerald Green): Ca3Cr2(SiO4)3
Knorringite: (Ca, Mg)3Cr2(SiO4)3
4. Vanadium Garnets:
Goldmanite: Ca3V23+(SiO4)3
Yamatoite: Mn3V2(SiO4)3
5. Zirconium Garnets:
Kimzeyite: Ca3Zr2Al2SiO12
Parts used:
Red to Red-Brown Garnets including Hessonite, Pyrope and Almandine (princiapally Aluminium Garnets).
‘A shining transparent Gem, of a Yellow Red, almost like fire or Minium, being a kind of Hyacinth, and is either Oriental or Occidental: the first are brought to us out of Ethiopia, the other from Spain and Silesia. The Oriental are best, but the shops have none but the Occidental’ (Salmon)
According to Ayurveda, the Black variety is beneficial in medicine, the white type is used in the Alchemical manufacture of Silver, the Yellow being used for the manufacture of Gold, and the red variety has all round use. Blue and ‘Pigeon-colored’ types are not used (said to be abortive). Hessonite and Cinnamon-colored Hessonite are said to be the types most often used in India.
Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Sweet, Salty
PROPERTIES:
Nature: Crystalline; in the forms of hexaoctahedra and rhombododecahedra
Color: Reddish-brown
Streak: White
Cleavage: none
Fracture: Sub-conchoidal
Lustre: Vitreous to resinous
Tenacity: Brittle
Transparency: Translucent
Hardness: 7–7.5
Specific Gravity: 3.5–4
All except Andradite are soluble in acids.
Constituents:
Almandine: iron aluminum silicate (Fe3Al2(SiO4)3)
Hessonite: Calcium aluminium silicate (Ca3Al2(SiO4)3)
Pyrope: magnesium aluminum silicate (Mg3Al2(SiO4)3)
Garnets are said to contain a little of most metals, the most common being Mg, Fe, Ca, Al, Cr, Mn, Ti, Zr and Y.
The Garnet family is complex and is divided into various types:
1. Aluminium Garnets:
Pyrope (Red, Violet, to Black and Green): Mg3Al2(SiO4)3
Grossularite (White, Yellow, Green, Red, Orange or Black): Ca3Al2(SiO4)3
Hessonite (Orange-red): Ca3Al2(SiO4)3
Spessarite (Yellow, Rose): Mn3Al2(SiO4)3
Almandine (Violet-red, Brown or Black colored): Fe3Al2(SiO4)3
2. Ferrous Garnets:
Andradite: Ca3Fe23+(SiO4)3; (green, yellow, black/brown)
Majorite: Mg3(Fe, Si)2(SiO4)3
Calderite: Mn3Fe2(SiO4)3
Skiagite: Fe32+Fe23+(SiO4)3
3. Chromium Garnets:
Uvarovite (Green to Emerald Green): Ca3Cr2(SiO4)3
Knorringite: (Ca, Mg)3Cr2(SiO4)3
4. Vanadium Garnets:
Goldmanite: Ca3V23+(SiO4)3
Yamatoite: Mn3V2(SiO4)3
5. Zirconium Garnets:
Kimzeyite: Ca3Zr2Al2SiO12
Parts used:
Red to Red-Brown Garnets including Hessonite, Pyrope and Almandine (princiapally Aluminium Garnets).
‘A shining transparent Gem, of a Yellow Red, almost like fire or Minium, being a kind of Hyacinth, and is either Oriental or Occidental: the first are brought to us out of Ethiopia, the other from Spain and Silesia. The Oriental are best, but the shops have none but the Occidental’ (Salmon)
According to Ayurveda, the Black variety is beneficial in medicine, the white type is used in the Alchemical manufacture of Silver, the Yellow being used for the manufacture of Gold, and the red variety has all round use. Blue and ‘Pigeon-colored’ types are not used (said to be abortive). Hessonite and Cinnamon-colored Hessonite are said to be the types most often used in India.
Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Sweet, Salty
PROPERTIES:
Nature: Crystalline; in the forms of hexaoctahedra and rhombododecahedra
Color: Reddish-brown
Streak: White
Cleavage: none
Fracture: Sub-conchoidal
Lustre: Vitreous to resinous
Tenacity: Brittle
Transparency: Translucent
Hardness: 7–7.5
Specific Gravity: 3.5–4
All except Andradite are soluble in acids.
Constituents:
Almandine: iron aluminum silicate (Fe3Al2(SiO4)3)
Hessonite: Calcium aluminium silicate (Ca3Al2(SiO4)3)
Pyrope: magnesium aluminum silicate (Mg3Al2(SiO4)3)
Garnets are said to contain a little of most metals, the most common being Mg, Fe, Ca, Al, Cr, Mn, Ti, Zr and Y.
Uses:
1. Clears Heat, Resists Poison:
-protects and treats Infectious and epidemic diseases including Plague
-Poison (Salmon)
-Fever.
2. Strengthens the Heart, Calms the Spirit:
-Palpitations
-Melancholy (Salmon); ‘The Garnet raises the Spirits, and drives Melancholy away’ (Lexicon of Alchemy)
-‘They resist Sadness’ (Culpeper)
3. Nourishes Blood, Tonifies Yin (Ayurveda, Hessonite):
-Rasayana (tonic to the 7 body tissues)
-anemia, weakness
-benefits skin and complexion
-wasting diseases, Tuberculosis
-promotes strength and longevity
-aphrodisiac
4. Stops Bleeding:
-Spitting of Blood (Salmon)
5. Clears Stones:
-break, dissolve and expel Urinary Stones (Salmon)
6. Externally:
-distilled, it is a most powerful salve for spots of the Eyes.
PREPARATION:
1. It may be heated and quenched a number of times before being levigated with rose water, sieved and dried for use.
2. It may be burnt to form a Bhasma or dissolved with acids and precipitated as for other precious stones.
DOSE:
Of the levigated Powder: 125–250mg
MAGICAL USES:
-'it does illuminate the Heart to contemplate true and divine things'. (The History of Precious Stones, Nicols, 1652)
-worn to protect from pestilential air, and epidemics, and remove negative or fearful thoughts
-as a charm to protect from lightning strikes
-worn to bring hope, happiness and a pleasant demeanor.
-as with Ruby, it was said to become dull or dark and lose its lustre if the wearer was in danger.
SUBSTITUTES:
1. Garnets have been used as a substitute for Ruby
2. Red Spinel, Red Garnet, Reddish Zircon, Ruby and Carbuncle have all been used similarly and often substituted for one another.
3. According to Ayurvedic texts, the best Garnets have qualities similar to Diamond and may be substituted for them
1. It may be heated and quenched a number of times before being levigated with rose water, sieved and dried for use.
2. It may be burnt to form a Bhasma or dissolved with acids and precipitated as for other precious stones.
DOSE:
Of the levigated Powder: 125–250mg
MAGICAL USES:
-'it does illuminate the Heart to contemplate true and divine things'. (The History of Precious Stones, Nicols, 1652)
-worn to protect from pestilential air, and epidemics, and remove negative or fearful thoughts
-as a charm to protect from lightning strikes
-worn to bring hope, happiness and a pleasant demeanor.
-as with Ruby, it was said to become dull or dark and lose its lustre if the wearer was in danger.
SUBSTITUTES:
1. Garnets have been used as a substitute for Ruby
2. Red Spinel, Red Garnet, Reddish Zircon, Ruby and Carbuncle have all been used similarly and often substituted for one another.
3. According to Ayurvedic texts, the best Garnets have qualities similar to Diamond and may be substituted for them
Main Combinations:
Major Formulas:
Vigorous Cakes
Warming Powder of Gems (Mesue)
Cooling Powder of Gems
Cordial Powder
Powder to Cool the Heart
Letificans Conciliatoris
Electuary of Gems (Mesue)
Cautions:
1. Standard cautions for using Gem stones.
2. ‘Hurts the brain, causes Anger and takes away sleep’ (Culpeper)
Main Preparations used:
Levigated powder; Bhasma; various other preparations.
1. Standard cautions for using Gem stones.
2. ‘Hurts the brain, causes Anger and takes away sleep’ (Culpeper)
Main Preparations used:
Levigated powder; Bhasma; various other preparations.