fore the blowpipe, and the globules thus 

 formed will be magnetic if the garnet 

 contains much iron. The green garnet, 

 uvarovite, is almost infusible, however. 

 Garnet is not much affected by ordinary- 

 acids, although it may be somewhat de- 

 composed by long heating. 



The name garnet is said by some au- 

 thorities to come from the Latin word 

 granatus, meaning like a grain, and to 

 have arisen in allusion to the resemblance 

 of its crystals in color and size to the 

 seeds of the pomegranate. The German 

 word for garnet, granat, is the same 

 as the Latin word. Others think the word 

 derived from the Latin name of the 

 cochineal insect in allusion to a similarity 

 in color. 



The Lise of garnet for gem purposes 

 seems to date back tO' the earliest times. 

 Among the ornaments adorning the old- 

 est Egyptian mummies there are fre- 

 quently found necklaces containing gar- 

 net. The Romans prized the stone high- 

 ly, and it is a gem very largely used at 

 the present day, its hardness and dura- 

 bility and richness and permanency of 

 color giving it all the qualities desired 

 in a precious stone. 



• Two varieties of garnet, almandite and 

 pyrope, may exhibit the dark blood-red 

 color especially ascribed to garnet. Al- 

 mandite or almandine garnet derives its 

 name from Alabanda, a city of Asia 

 Minor, in the ancient district of Caria, 

 whence garnet was first broug^ht to 

 the Romans. The finest almandite for 

 a long time came from near the city of 

 Sirian, in the old province of Pegu, 

 Lower Burmah. While this was the cen- 

 ter of supply, it is not known just where 

 the garnets were obtained. Such gar- 

 nets are still known as ''Sirian" garnets. 

 Their color tends toward the violet of the 

 ruby and gives them a high value. There 

 are several localities in Northern India 

 where almandite is mined on a large 

 scale, and the stone is much used in In- 

 dian jewelry. Some of these localities 

 are Condapilly, Sarwar and Cacoria. 

 Almandite is also found in Brazil, in Aus- 

 tralia, in several localities in the Alps, 

 and in the LTnited States. Stones 

 fronii all these regions are found suitable 

 for cutting, the only qualifications need- 

 ed being sufficient size and transparency 

 and good color. The almandite of Alas- 



ka shown in the accompanying plate oc- 

 curs in great quantities near the mouth 

 of the Stickeen river, but has not been 

 extensively cut on account of its being too 

 opaque. Almandite usually occurs in 

 metamorphic rocks, such as gneisses or 

 mica schists; also in granite. It is also 

 found in many gem gravels. From the 

 ruby it can be distinguished, as can all 

 varieties of garnet, by its lower hardness 

 and single refraction of light. In arti- 

 ficial light, too, it borrows a yellow tint, 

 rendering it less pleasing, while the color 

 of ruby grows more intense. 



Pyrope, the magnesian variety of gar- 

 net, does not differ mjuch in color from 

 almandite. Both are dark red, but while 

 almandite tends toward a violet tone, 

 pyrope shades toward yellow. Pyrope is 

 lighter than almandite, the specific grav- 

 ity being 3.7 to 3.8, while that of alman- 

 dite is 4.1 to 4.3. It is also less easily 

 fusible. It rarely occurs in crystals, and 

 where found in place is always associated 

 with the magnesium-bearing rocks, peri- 

 dotite or serpentine. 



It is thus probably always of eruptive 

 origin. Pyrope is a characteristic con- 

 stituent of the diamond-bearing rock of 

 South Africa, and is the stone known in 

 trade as ''Cape ruby." These garnets af- 

 ford many excellent gems. The home of 

 the pyrope, however, is and has been for 

 many centuries, Bohemia. Here it is 

 found in many localities, but chiefly in 

 the northwestern part, near Teplitz and 

 Berlin. The garnets are found in a 

 gravel or conglomerate of Cretaceous age, 

 resulting from the decomposition of a 

 serpentine. Sometimes, however, they 

 are found in the matrix and often asso- 

 ciated with a brown opal- They are found 

 by digging and separated by washing. 

 Though of good quality the scones are 

 small, those as large as a hazel 

 nut being found but rarely. Al- 

 though the Bohemian garnets have 

 been known for many centuries, 

 the industry of mining and cut- 

 ting them on a large scale is said not to 

 have assumed any special proportions un- 

 til the advent of foreigners to Karlsbad. 

 In this way a knowledge 01 the stones 

 went out to other countries, and a de- 

 mand sprang up which has led to the es- 

 tablishment of a great industry and made 



173 



