All About Garnets

Garnets have been a very popular gemstone over the years and come in many very beautiful colors.

You do not need to know all about garnets in order seek out and buy a good quality gemstone but the more you do know, obviously the better your choice will be and the better price you are likely to get for the garnet you want to buy.

The word Garnet originates from the Latin ‘granatus’ which means ‘grain’. It has been speculated that this is a reference to the pomegranate fruit which has seeds of a similar shape size and color to some garnet stones.

Despite many people thing\king of garnets as purely green, in fact garnets are invariably red in color but can also be found in a number of other colors including purple, orange, yellow green brown and even black. Even colorless crystals of garnet have been known to be found.

The Garnet is the birthstone for January, and has been in use since the Bronze Age

When shopping for garnets do some patient browsing first. Really check over all the garnets available,. Inspecting them and asking to see the certificate of appraisal that comes or should come with them.

You want to be sure that the garnets are a) genuine and b) that the garnets are what the dealer or jeweler says they are.

If buying online ensure that the seller has a returns policy and that you can contact them easily through the phone or snail mail (letter) and not just some obscure email address.

Buying garnets is easy and all you really need is some common sense, some patience and to do some due diligence and you will likely find the garnet you have been looking for at a price you can afford.

Italian garnet jewelery is a specific characteristic style of jewelery that is quite delightful but may not appeal to all tastes.

Garnets are usually red but actually are found in a variety of colors including black, brown, green, orange, purple and yellow among others.

The pure garnet crystals are used in jewelery as gemstones but garnet is also used in industry. Garnet is used to cut steel for instance and garnet sand is an excellent abrasive so used in sand blasting.

When choosing Italian garnet jewelery it is a good idea to check, not just the garnets for quality but also the type of precious metal the stones are set in. Gold is fairly traditional and 18 and 22 karat gold is an excellent choice as it has a small mixture of other metals to improve its hardness, gold being a soft metal. Italian garnet jewelery tends to be somewhat fragile and some support helps it to last longer without any distortion.

When browsing for Italian garnet jewelery look at the settings also. Ensure the garnet is tight and not lose in its setting. Is the setting a claw setting? Or is the garnet simply glued in. If it is glued in I would avoid it as the glue can deteriorate and the stone can come out and be lost. A claw setting will hold it in place.

If possible try to get a certificate of authenticity that describes the stone and the value and even the setting and metal it is set in. this is good not just for insurance purposes but also for possible resale at a later date.

Italian Garnet Jewelery should be cleaned regularly but with care. Being delicate it is easy to twist or distort the jewelery. Warm soapy water and gently brushed with a old soft toothbrush is the most optimum. Then left to dry (not force dried as that can dry out the garnet and cause cracks) and stored safely away from other jewelery.

Provided one takes care and uses some common sense one can have some delightful Italian garnet jewelery that will last a lifetime.

The garnet comes in a variety of colors actually so makes an ideal garnet ring. Garnets come in colors from deep red to a brilliant green, pale and bright yellow and even a fiery orange.

Garnets are in high demand and often make excellent rings with other stones such as diamonds, rubies and emeralds also. As a result they are ideal for just about any fashion trend and suit most skin colors and tones.

Garnets are also very hard being close to diamond on the hardness scale and they have a high refraction resulting in their popular brilliance. They are very sturdy and quite suitable for everyday wear and fit in with most other jewelry.

A good browse and check can find a good bargain in garnet rings. Auctions are a great place to find antique garnet rings and the quality, if come from a deceased estate, can be quite striking.

With garnet rings always check that the setting is a proper and tight fit and the stone is not lose. Garnets get grimy as well as other stones so a wash in warm soapy water, rinsed and dried well at regular intervals is always a good idea.

Garnets were popular in Victorian times so it is quite possible to find some excellent Victorian antique garnet rings that can be quite valuable. Such rinds should be checked for their quality and a certificate from an independent gemological laboratory is a wise move especially for insurance purposes.

Garnet jewelry is among the favorite among gemstone connoisseurs and the garnet ring probably ranks as the most popular

Cleaning your garnet jewelery is a very important activity if you want to ensure it stays in a pristine condition

Garnets are usually set in rings, broaches, pendants and sometimes necklaces and they get subject to dust, grime and the results of oils and perfumes, chemicals, hairsprays and body sweat .

It is important to know how to regularly maintain and keep them clean therefore.

One needs to be careful of using chemicals to clean gemstones. While diamonds are generally unaffected by chemicals, garnets may be, so knowing what one can and cannot use is vital to ensure you keep your garnets in pristine condition and keep them sparkling.

Use a warm soapy solution in a large bowl (not over the sink as you don’t want to slip and lose your precious gemstone down the plug hole) and rub with a old toothbrush to get out any residue between the stone and the jewelery. Brushing underneath as well as the top and in between the crevasses is important. Ensure you brush gently as, although the gemstone may be quite hard, the precious metal it is set in may be soft and the claws that hold the gemstone may be easily snapped off. 24 karat gold is particularly soft so great care should be taken with that metal.

Make sure the piece is rinsed really well so that the is no soap caught between the ruby and the metal.

Pat dry with a soft cloth. And allow to dry completely before storing or wearing again. A hair dryer can also be used with the setting on low so you don’t blow the jewelery piece away off and onto the floor and have to spend hours frantically searching for it.

If your jewelery is pure gold an ammonia solution could be used. It is not advisable with other metals, such as silver or a lower carat gold of 14 or 10 karat, as they also contain other metals which can react with the ammonia and cause it to go black.

The same principles of clean as described above apply. Brushed well to get rid of grime, rinsed really well and completely dried.

Some people let their gems soak in the solution for a half hour or so. To loosen any grime wedged in.

Using the above tips for cleaning your garnet jewelery will help to keep them sparkling clean.

Here will be added information and news about that wonderful and versatile gemstone, the garnet.

Many people think of green garnets but the garnet is usually red and also in a wide range of many splendid colors including yellow, blue, brown and even transparent.

All about garnets, how to buy and sell them, how to collect them and other fascinating information will be added over time.

I hope this information will be interesting and valuable for you.