Garnets are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives.All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition. The different species are pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular (varieties of which are hessonite or cinnamon-stone and tsavorite), uvarovite and andradite. The garnets make up two solid solution series: pyrope-almandine-spessartine and uvarovite-grossular-andradite.Garnet is available in a veritable plethora of colors, such as yellow, orange, peach, green, red, purple, blue (rare), brown and pink. However, the most commonly occurring color is red and the rarest is blue.Garnet exhibits a vitreous (glassy) luster.
