What is garnet?
By Jared James · Last updated 21 May 2026
Definition
Garnet is a large family of silicate minerals that share a similar crystal structure but come in an impressive range of colours. The deep red almandine and pyrope varieties are the most familiar, but garnets also occur in orange hessonite, raspberry rhodolite, vivid green tsavorite and demantoid, and even colour-change varieties. Garnet has been used in jewellery since the Bronze Age, measures a solid 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, and is the birthstone for January.
Frequently asked questions
- Is garnet only red?
- Red is the most commonly seen colour, but garnet actually comes in almost every colour. Tsavorite is a brilliant green, hessonite is a warm orange-brown, rhodolite is a pink-purple, and some garnets even shift colour between daylight and artificial light.
- Is garnet a precious or semi-precious stone?
- Garnet is classed as semi-precious, which means it is widely available and reasonably priced for most varieties. That said, rare types like demantoid and tsavorite can be genuinely expensive and are prized by collectors.
- Can garnet be worn every day?
- Yes, garnet is hard enough for most everyday jewellery at 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. It suits earrings and pendants particularly well, and rings are fine with reasonable care to avoid hard knocks.
Designing a ring
Talk through garnet with us
Tell us what you have in mind, even if it is only a budget and a piece of jewellery type, and we will help you weigh up the options. We reply to every enquiry, usually within one business day.
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