Garnet

a common mineral, usually occurring as crystals imbedded in rocks. There are several prominent varieties, white, yellow, green, brown, and black, but chiefly red. The precious garnet prized as a gem is transparent and of a deep red. It is composed chiefly of alumina, and owes its beautiful color to a stain of iron. Beautiful garnets are obtained from the Navajo Indian reservation, Ceylon, and Greenland. The red garnet resembles the ruby, but it is a cheaper gem. The garnet was named for the red seed of the pomegranate. The name was formerly spelled granate. See Corundum