Garnets – Welcome

Ruby is a red gemstone that is often used as a stone in rings. It's called a ruby because of its color, hardness, and how it was formed: by crystallization of corundum (aluminum oxide, which can form different kinds of gems). Rubies are different from garnets because they are harder, more expensive, rarer, and often have a deeper red color than garnets do. Garnets usually have paler colors other than red in slight amounts. Garnets are often used as an economical alternative to rubies in jewelry-making. Garnet is another type of gemstone; this one comprises two minerals: Pyrope and Spessartite, although other garnets exist. A typical garnet includes both these minerals but can also be made up entirely from each mineral. Garnets are generally colored brown to green to yellow, though they can also contain blue and purple-red to nearly black. Each garnet has its name, and there are more than 100 different types of garnet. Very popular in the Roman period, garnets were named after a word that means "seed." Garnets were once used for other purposes such as medication, an illuminant (they burn very brightly), and even in paint pigments. Today they're also used to create lasers that can help detect minerals found deep within the earth's crust. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzU6D4_yYyg Comparisons and Contrasts between Rubies and Garnets Garnets and rubies, both being gems created by crystallization, have precise colored patterns: Reds and Pinks with high ranking levels of transparency and clarity, which allow them to refract light rays at only one particular angle. Hence, we see the red or pink color reflected from the surface of the stone. The color red is due to high amounts of iron in the mineral; this gives it a rich and deep color. Garnets and rubies are gems and crystals, making them very valuable as gemstones: like any other precious stone or crystal, they're used for decorations such as rings, pendants, necklaces, and even earrings. Due to their bright colors, they can be set into jewelry materials such as gold (for yellow), silver (for brown), and platinum (for purple).Garnets represent joy, love, and passion; they also help relieve the stress of overthinking things too much. Garnet jewelry is said to encourage inspiration by activating your third eye chakra. They can also stimulate emotions, which is why they're often used in healing. Mined deep within the earth, rubies are sometimes mistaken for garnets that other minerals have stained. However, garnet crystals have sharp edges that can be seen under a microscope, while ruby crystals are smooth and thin. Garnets are usually found in igneous rock (rocks formed from magma cooling) but may also be produced by crystallizing sedimentary or metamorphic rocks at high pressures or temperatures. The best quality stones are mined in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, India, Tanzania, Siberia, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe. Rubies come mostly from Thailand and Burma, with smaller amounts coming from Vietnam, Kenya, and Madagascar. Garnets and rubies are both used to make jewelry, but garnet is more popular in gemstone rings, and ruby is the choice gem for large diamond-like stones and pendants. Garnet can come in colors such as blackish red, dark brownish red, brownish-green, orangey-red, purple-red to purplish pink (including rhodolite), reddish-orange to salmon, or pale yellow. It's often confused with other colored gems such as topaz, tourmaline, malachite, chalcedony, and hessonite which isn't a gemstone at all. Generally speaking, though, you would never confuse either of them unless there's a lack of light. Ruby and garnet are both popular gems, but the former is more popular than the latter. Ruby is a beautiful red color that can refract light in such a way to give it an awesome shine and brilliant sparkles; if you're the kind of person who loves wearing bling, then this is your gemstone. It's also not as expensive as most other types of gemstones or diamonds. The ruby is most often used in jewelry because of its fine quality and rich colors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RVWpBpIX6s Which is better, ruby or garnet? RUBY: requires a heating process before being used as gems, and they're generally more expensive than garnets. GARNET: untreated garnet stones will break easily unless they've been treated with heat to make them more durable. What is the difference between a ruby and a garnet? Garnets were produced first; this was during the Cretaceous period and before the Tertiary period. During that time, all crystalline gems were red or pink. However, after the Tertiary period, when earth's climate started to change, rubies began to be produced in more significant quantities than garnets. Rubies are mined deep within the earth, while most commercially-sold garnets come from mines just a few miles below the earth's surface because they're much softer and break more easily. Garnet crystals will generally have flat surfaces, while ruby crystals will have a smooth appearance under a microscope. Rubies also tend to shine slightly due to higher amounts of chromium within their crystal structure, while garnets reflect light more evenly throughout their gemstone bodies.Garnets and rubies are two different kinds of gemstones; they're both red, but the chemical composition is very different. Garnets are made up of minerals such as Pyrope (including Spessartite, although other garnets also exist. A typical garnet includes both these minerals but can also be made up entirely from each mineral. Garnets are generally colored brown to green to yellow, though they can also contain blue and purple-red to nearly black. Each garnet has its name, and there are more than 100 different types of garnet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcCkUS3D2Lw An Overview of Garnets Though garnet is a gemstone produced by crystallization, it can also be mistaken for a ruby if the stones haven't undergone heat treatment. Garnets and rubies only look the same when they're not treated; however, natural untreated red gems will never look exactly like both of them at once. Although most people think that pink-red colored garnets are more common than other colors, all garnets occur naturally. Trace impurities such as potassium or titanium determine their color (and this also applies to rubies). For example, Pyrope contains more iron oxide, which produces an orange-red color, while Spessartite has more manganese oxide instead, turning it into a deep green color. Garnets are generally more affordable than rubies due to their lower quality and their much softer. For garnets to last longer, they need to undergo a process known as "heated crystallization". This means they break easier and lose their shape easily, so they must be treated before being used as gemstones. However, this process is not recommended for very large stones because of its softness since it can take away from the stone's natural brilliance.Garnets don't have the same high value or status as rubies; however, garnet jewelry is popular in many Third World countries due to its availability and affordability. Many stores in the world sell semiprecious stones, including garnets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izl6kUIvuyU The Origins of Rubies and Garnets The most important difference between rubies and garnets would probably be their origin: rubies come from within the earth (crystallization), while garnets actually form on top of volcanic rocks or deep down inside them (igneous rock). Rubies are also cut and polished to make jewelry, while garnets (first mined in India) don't require as much work to be made into tiaras or necklaces. Gems can either come from within the earth’s crust (igneous rock formation), mantle (crystallization), sea bed (biogenic sedimentary rocks), or even on top of the earth’s crust (metamorphic rock).The difference between ruby and garnet is easy to see with a simple image comparison, but they can often be confused, so here's an article that might shed some light. Before you go thinking that garnets are merely poor imitations of ruby, here's a little history lesson for you: garnet is known to be one of the oldest stones in recorded history. It has its roots back to 1500 B.C., making it older than most jewels and gemstones out there today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aRMltes39o Historical Uses for Garnets Garnet was used as a weapon because it had an extremely high refractive index, making them perfect for targeting enemies on horses or armies on foot with precision; however, this method was never perfected because accurate archery without expensive equipment isn't efficient even for modern-day hunters. Garnets were also used as protection against curses and bad luck (due to their incredible hardness), which led to the belief that these gemstones could help heal, prevent disease, and prolong life. Because of their dark color (which is most often red) they were also thought to cure sleeplessness during the night or restless thoughts during the day. During the renaissance, garnet was known as one of the four classical stones (ruby, sapphire, diamond, and emerald). It lost its popularity after this time until recently when people discovered just how beautiful ruby could be; this is why many people prefer jewels over weaponry. Garnets may have historical roots that go further than rubies, but their use hasn't continued into modern times because they're not as convenient as gems such as ruby and ivory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO09AKL8rfg Costs of Rubies and Garnets Rubies are more popular than garnets throughout the world, especially in Western countries such as the United States and Europe. Geographically speaking, they're also found much more extensively than garnets which tend to be limited to specific geographic locations: India and Australia, for starters. Because rubies and garnets come from different places, their availability varies greatly; this is why diamonds are much cheaper than both because there's a higher supply of them available worldwide that isn't limited to one country. Garnet is usually sold at extremely low cost (usually under $10 per carat) while settings can be made almost anywhere; diamond prices on the other hand, fluctuate quite a bit more because of its extremely high demand. The price of one carat of a diamond is around $2,000, although the most popular stones can cost as much as $200,000 each; this is why you tend to hear about them more than any other gemstone on television or at parties. The value of garnets isn't very different from ruby, but they tend to come in greater variety, allowing you to find harder-to-find colors such as pink and orange if you're willing to pay a little extra money for them. In general, though, they can be sold anywhere from twenty dollars per carat all the way up to several thousand depending on their particular color and clarity. Since these gems are typically easier to find and manufacture than other types of precious gemstones, they tend to fetch lower costs.When comparing rubies from garnets, you'll notice that rubies are much harder to find; only a small amount of them will be scarlet or red because the rest tend to be yellowish or orange. On the other hand, most kinds of garnet will be either dark red or brown-red with black streaks running through them. These rocks can sometimes even have a golden hue if they're made in just the right way to catch the sunlight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h66rScoVEhI Faceting Rubies and Garnets When it comes to being faceted, garnets are much harder to cut because they have a higher index of refraction than ruby does; that's why you'll find garnets in bigger sizes much more frequently than ruby since they can be carved out easier with metal shaping machines. Because rubies are softer when being cut, small particles of them will fly away from the rock when trying to shape it, which is something you won't see hampering garnets due to their hardness. This is also why rubies need to be polished for much longer during the production process because rough gems don't show off their natural beauty properly if they're not given ample time and attention. Garnets, on the other hand, don't need much polish at all.When it comes to appearance, garnets tend to be a bit duller when compared side by side with ruby because of their rough texture and lack of reflections from light. However, in terms of durability, they tend to last much longer without breaking or chipping than ruby does which is why they're still used in making jewelry today even though they're not quite as popular as diamonds or rubies. The reason for this has much more to do with personal preference rather than their inability to meet expectations when compared against gemstones such as these two types of precious rocks. Garnets are harder than rubies but will likely break easier than sapphires if you were to use them in a ring that's constantly banging itself against objects. Because of this, they're usually kept in settings that will keep them from being hit directly by things such as other rings.In conclusion, both garnet and ruby are beautiful gemstones that come from different parts of the earth. While rubies require a heating process before being used as gems, untreated garnet stones will break easily unless they've been treated with heat to make them more durable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gIskfMknBc Is garnet a fake ruby? Garnet is not a fake ruby. Garnet is one of many types of minerals that are red. It has its scientific name, which is "grossularite." There are more than 100 different types of garnets that vary in their chemical composition and physical properties.Rubies come from Burma (Myanmar) while most commercially-sold garnets come from the United States, India, Australia, Brazil, and Sri Lanka; they can also be found almost anywhere around the world today. Are garnets worth anything? Garnets are worth something! They're often used as gems because they are affordable compared to other gemstones like rubies (which isn't exactly true either since there's opal). The price of garnets will vary depending on their quality, where they come from and whether or not they've been treated. In conclusion, both ruby and garnet are worth something. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxNYGFZuFSE Conclusion If you ever find yourself wondering which of these two gems is better, remember that there will always be someone out there who will think that gemstone A is better than B and vice versa. It all boils down to your personal preference and how much money you're willing to spend on a certain type of gem. The only thing we can know for sure is that people have different preferences when it comes to choosing a specific type of gem and its value in their eyes.