Hessonite Garnet
Hessonite Garnet
Hessonite belongs to the grossularite garnet group, which also includes the rare tsavorite garnet. While most grossularite garnet is green, hessonite typically has a orange-brown color which has earned it the nickname cinnamon stone.
The name is from the Greek h?ss?n, inferior, in allusion to its lower hardness and density than most other garnet species varieties.
The hessonite garnet is also one of the popular gems in the Indian market and is popularly known as the gomedha or gomed. The hessonite garnet gemstone is one of the Navagraha stones (stones that represent the nine planets that have a cosmic influence on all earthlings).
Hessonite garnet ranges in color from honey-yellow to orange-brown to brown-red. One of the distinguishing characteristics of hessonite is a “treacly” quality — when viewed under magnification one can see undulating, contorted areas of lesser transparency. These subtle inclusions are a useful key in distinguishing hessonite from other gemstones of similar colors, such as citrine, topaz and orange zircon.
Hessonite garnets are mostly used in rings and the natural rough garnets are cut to form round and oval shapes in most cases. Some multi garnets can also be cut and faceted into rectangles or squares and even hexagons. Garnet beads are also used to make necklaces and strings in jewelry. The various facets allow for the garnet to be cut in various ways and therefore you can select from various shapes like round, oval, square, rectangle and even hexagon.