Garnet

Named after ‘garnatum’ the pomegranate, this stone is really a family of minerals. Pyrope garnet is the most common and its dark blood red colour was very popular invictorian jewellery. Almandine garnet is paler and the presence of iron gives it a brown or purple tinge. Rhodolite is a mixture of Pyrope and Almandine and has an attractive violet-pink colour.