Garnets Galore

Oh man, it’s been a tough few seasons in North Carolina. From the 70s and sunny, to the frigid 20s we’ve experienced...AND IT’S ONLY JANUARY PEOPLE! As it seems like January is never ending it’s time we celebrate the gem that embodies this month. 

Garnets are typically seen as a deep red, but they actually come in a whole rainbow of colors (just like our weather apparently...) You can find these beauties in blacks, greens, pinks or even colorless!

Their uniqueness doesn’t stop there though, garnets are typically found above ground in small pebbles in streams or bodies of water. They are present where igneous and metamorphic rocks have been weathered away over many many years. These gemstones have a hardness ranging from 6.5-7.5 on the Mohs scale depending on their composition. Garnets in the aluminum family have a higher specific gravity and are therefore harder than their cousins in the calcium family. You heard it here first - milk alone won’t make you stronger! 

As a general rule of thumb the deeper reds, pinks, and oranges are formed with aluminum and are great to wear in rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces. 

Whereas the greens, blacks, and lighter colors are formed with calcium and are better worn in earrings and necklaces where they can be protected. 

What we currently love? 

Bernd Wolf Drop Earrings, under $350 and so versatile!

The word ‘garnet’ comes from an ancient word for pomegranate. I mean I wouldn’t say no to a pomegranate filled with garnets from the grocery store (If anyone from Harris Teeter can hook us up - let me know!) 

And lastly, for all of our local friends - there is an exposed vein of garnets in Wake Forest! Though most areas are off limits, it was discovered about 5 years ago near Highway 98.