In some quarters, garnets are so poorly regarded that all the word brings to mind are dull, dark-red stones, or perhaps an abrasive used in sandpaper. Indeed, garnets are plentiful, in no small part because the word is a catch-all for a host of minerals, from red pyrope and orange spessartine to brownish-red almandine. But garnets have been sought-after gemstones in fine jewelry for thousands of years. For example, almandines are probably the...Continue Reading