Hydrogrossular Garnet

HYDROGROSSULAR GARNET
** There are several families of Garnets. One of these families is the Grossular group (also called Grossularite), which includes Hessonite, Tsavorite, and several others. The Grossular group comes in colorless (which is very rare), red, orange, yellow, brown, green, and black. It is the most colorful group of all the Garnets.** The Garnet we are going to discuss today is a Grossular Garnet known as Hydrogrossular. It is a generally opaque stone in shades of yellow, green, and brown. (Our Hydrogrossular Chip Beads are olive green.)** Hydrogrossular Garnet is sometimes called the "Gooseberry Stone" due to its resemblance to gooseberries. It is also colloquially known as "African Jade," and makes a good substitute for Jade in color and workability. (It is seldom faceted; it works better as cabs and carvings like Jade.) It is also sometimes called "Transvaal Jade," which is its official trade name.** One of the unique characteristics of Grossular Garnets is that they contain tiny crystals (usually of the mineral Diopside), which, when viewed under a microscope, give the stones a particular swirled pattern known as "treacle." This is one way to positively identify a stone from the Grossularite group.** The word "Grossular" comes from the Greek grossularia, meaning "gooseberry."** Crystal healers use Hydrogrossular to treat problems with the kidneys and intestines. ** Hydrogrossular Garnets are thought to help solidify partnerships, thus they are good to use in business partnerships. It is also a good stone for husband and wife to give to each other. It helps to keep long-distance relationships (whether friendship, romance, or business) going strong. It is thought to help keep the wearer cool in times of crisis.