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Before I ever made jewelry or even thought about working with gemstones, I was a tour leader in Pakistan and China. With an ancient bus that had probably seen better decades, I drove from Pakistan over the famous Karakoram Highway (one of the most dangerous roads in Asia) toward Kashgar, where our Silk Route adventure was supposed to begin.
The weather was awful. It had been raining for days, the mountainsides were soaked, and landslides kept blocking the road. Things weren’t looking good at all, and I was starting to worry we’d have to turn around and head back to Peshawar.
At one point, we had to stop completely; a huge landslide had blocked the road, and workers were clearing the debris by hand. That could take hours. Luckily, the rain had finally stopped, so we got off the bus to stretch our legs and look around.
Garnet: the treasure to be found along the road
As usual, curiosity got the better of me. I wandered off and noticed some strange little stones scattered by the roadside — small, reddish-brown cubes glinting in the dirt. I scooped up a handful and asked our driver what they were.
He looked at me like it was nothing special and said, “Oh, that’s just garnet.”
“Garnet?” I asked. “You mean the gemstone?”
“Yes,” he said with a shrug, “but they’re worthless when they’re not polished. You can find them everywhere here.”
Everywhere! Imagine walking along one of the world’s most dangerous roads and literally tripping over gemstones. What a shame that such treasures go unnoticed. Pakistan hides so many natural riches, not just garnet, that it should be one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
I remember turning the stones over in my hands, feeling their rough texture, their weight, and imagining the millions of years it took for them to form inside the earth. Even in their raw state, something was mesmerizing about them — a spark, a promise of the polished gem they could become.
My garnets are back in the Netherlands
Of course, I couldn’t resist. I filled my pockets with those rough stones and brought them home to the Netherlands. My father was a jeweler, and I was convinced he could do something with them.
This was before I studied mineralogy, so I didn’t yet understand how gemstones are cut or polished. My dad took one look and said cutting them would be impossible, the loss of material would make them too small to use in jewelry.
The only way, he said, would be to polish them slowly in a kind of rotating drum, like a “washing machine,” with sand and water. That process can take about a week!
Well, I didn’t have a polishing drum, so my stones stayed unpolished. But something had sparked inside me — a fascination, even love, for the mystery of this deep red gem. Somehow, someday, I knew I wanted to have a properly cut and polished piece set into a beautiful jewelry design.
Many years went by, and every time I saw a polished garnet in a shop, I remembered those rough cubes by the roadside. There was a story in each stone, a piece of the earth’s long history waiting to shine.
Many years went by…
Sri Lanka, to look for beautiful gemstones
A few years later, I found myself leading a tour in Sri Lanka. Let me tell you, being a tour leader sounds glamorous, but it’s hard work. You’re constantly on the move, managing logistics, answering questions, and solving small crises. There’s hardly any time left for souvenir shopping, let alone gemstone hunting.
But I got lucky. Right next to my hotel was a tiny gemstone shop. I figured I’d pop in for a quick look, just five minutes, I told myself.
Inside was a friendly man who immediately offered me a cup of tea (as people so often do in Sri Lanka). Before I knew it, we were chatting about gemstones. Most of his collection was red, but he also showed me orange, brown, and even black stones.
He explained that the different colors come from how they form inside the Earth’s magma. As they rise to the surface, they mix with other minerals, and that’s what creates such beautiful color variations.
He also laughed when I told him about my “washing machine” polishing idea. No wonder that never worked, these stones are much too hard for that kind of treatment! Over time, the softer rocks around them erode, leaving the crystals behind. That’s why I found them scattered along the Karakoram Highway years before, sparkling faintly in the dust.
That day in Sri Lanka was the moment I really understood their beauty, not just as gems, but as tiny pieces of the earth’s history. Every stone tells a story, every color reflects its unique journey.
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red garnet gem necklace€ 85.00
Different varieties
Most people think of this gemstone as simply “dark red.” But in reality, it’s a whole family of minerals with many colors and types. Different metal ions or elements inside the crystal change its structure and color, but they’re all still part of the same group.
Here’s a quick look at some of the best-known varieties:
• Almandine – The most common type. Deep red to reddish-brown, even black. It’s the hardest of the lot, ranking 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale.
• Pyrope – The classic fiery red variety that most people recognize. Slightly softer, around 7–7.5 on the Mohs scale.
• Rhodolite – A lovely red-to-pink or purple type, with a touch more magnesium and less iron.
• Spessartite – Comes in shades of orange, red-orange, pink, and even yellow or brown. Because of its high refractive index, it sparkles beautifully. It was a favorite in 19th- and early 20th-century jewelry.
• Grossular – In pure form, it’s colorless, but impurities can turn it into gray, pink, green, brown, yellow, or orange hues.
• Tsavorite – A bright green gem that can easily be mistaken for an emerald. It’s rare, clear, and very sought-after.
• And then there are Andradite and Uvarovite, less common but equally fascinating stones.
Who knew one “simple” gemstone could have so many variations? Every crystal is unique, and even small differences in mineral content create stunning effects in the final gem. This makes collecting and designing with them endlessly exciting.
Fun facts and old stories
- This gemstone is the birthstone of January and the traditional gift for a second wedding anniversary.
- While most are red, you can also find them in pink, orange, yellow, and green, and sometimes even color-changing ones.
- Throughout history, soldiers carried them as talismans for protection in battle. Greek sailors wore them for good luck and safe passage at sea.
- Ancient healers believed they could strengthen the heart, lift depression, and keep evil spirits away.
- Archaeologists found beads made of this gemstone in Bronze Age graves. The Egyptians used it for jewelry and as a symbol of friendship and eternal life. The Romans loved it too, especially for signet rings.
- It’s a hard gemstone, about 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, but can still be scratched by harder stones like diamonds.
- In the Victorian era, jewelry with this gemstone was all the rage, especially the Bohemian variety. Some sellers glued red glass under thin slices of real stone to make them appear larger, one of history’s first jewelry scams!
- The King of Saxony reportedly owned a gemstone weighing 465 carats. Even the Greek philosopher Plato is said to have had his portrait engraved on one.
- Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) was once the world’s main source. Mining, cutting, and setting jewelry made from it was a huge local industry.
It’s safe to say this gemstone has had a long, sparkling history — loved by everyone from warriors to royalty.
The birthstone of January, and more!
If you’re looking for a truly personal gift, for your best friend, your partner, or even for yourself, jewelry with a birthstone is always a wonderful choice. It shows you’ve put thought into it, that you care, and that it carries a story.
The deep red birthstone of January is said to symbolize love, passion, and protection. But whatever month you were born in, there’s a gemstone that matches your personality and your story.
At FlorenceJewelshop, I’ve created a free e-book that lists all the birthstones and the other beautiful gemstones, and the fascinating stories behind them. You can learn which gem belongs to which month, what it symbolizes, and maybe discover why you’ve always been drawn to a certain color or sparkle.
You can even send the e-book as a thoughtful extra gift to someone you care about.
Just let me know where to send it — and maybe you’ll find your next favorite stone waiting in those pages.
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