Each garnet comes to you raw and unpolished, with the many-sided crystal shape it grew in. Raw stones like this are believed to keep the pure vibrations of the Earth, connecting you to the natural world.
You receive
1 rough red garnet
Size
Approx. 0.5–1 in (1.2–2.5 cm)
All sizes are approximate; each crystal is one of a kind and will vary.
How it forms
Forged by heat and pressure.
Red garnet forms when aluminum-rich sedimentary rock is put under intense heat and pressure. Every piece keeps its own shape, shade of red and traces of the rock it grew in, so yours will be one of a kind.
Garnet comes in almost every color of the rainbow except blue, and color alone is rarely enough to tell one garnet from another.
The garnet family
A stone with a big family and a long history.
Red garnet belongs to a diverse group: Almandine, Pyrope, Spessartite, Grossular, Andradite and Uvarovite. Almandine is the most common, and its dark red is the shade most people picture. Andradites are especially rare and, thanks to their high dispersion, have more sparkle than diamonds. Uvarovites are the rarest of all, a deep emerald-like green.
The discovery of Bohemian garnet deposits in central Europe around 1500 set off a jewelry boom that lasted nearly 300 years. In the past fifty years new blends have emerged in East Africa, and experts expect more varieties to be found.
Found in
Europe, the USA (Arizona and New Mexico), South Africa and Australia
Typical garnets
Half an inch to an inch across
Giants
Almandines from Gore Mountain, New York, up to 23.6 in (60 cm) across; spessartites in Brazil weighing several pounds, with rich color and beautiful transparency
Courage · Friendship · Emotional balance
The Traveler's Stone.
Red garnet is associated with love and friendship. It is said to bring courage, creative energy, vitality, abundance, flow, change and awareness, along with emotional balance, and to help dissolve ingrained patterns and outworn ideas that no longer serve, bypassing resistance and unconscious self-sabotage.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, red garnets are believed to bring good luck; in Tibet they are believed to increase longevity, and in China to protect against evil spirits. Known as the Traveler's Stone, garnet is said to have guided and protected Noah as he navigated the Ark. In Greek myth, Hades gave Persephone a pomegranate seed, a symbol of red garnet, to ensure her safe return and to heal lovers' wounds.
In crystal energy work, red garnet is connected with the Root, Sacral and Heart Chakras and is said to purify and energize all of them, stirring inner fire, passion, energy, creativity and love.
Crystals have been prized for centuries for their beauty and believed metaphysical properties; Spirit Magicka makes no guarantee of any mystical or healing effect.
Your rough garnet
A little fire for your pocket or altar.
Carry it with you, set it on your altar, or give it to a friend as a stone of love and friendship.