Its name comes from the Greek “pyros” for fire. Of variable color, the red one, more or less tinged with brown, being the most sought after. It was called “carbuncle” which means red like fire, and the expression “shining like carbuncles” was widely used by many writers. It has also been called “Bohemian garnet” from the site where the most beautiful came from.
The Rhodolite is an intermediate variety between pyrope and almandine but closer to pyrope, of a red rose color, its name derived from the Greek ” rhodon ” for rose.
Garnets change colors, they are an intermediate between pyrope and spessartite and they have the characteristic of changing color depending on the light which they are subjected to: ” natural ” light or artificial” incandescent “.
The “malaya” variety , is orange in natural light and becomes deep pink in incandescent light, it was discovered in the 1990s.
The “ Bekily “ variety, from Madagascar is the only known blue garnet, blue that tends to green under daylight, it becomes deep pink, almost red, under incandescent light. This change in color, due to vanadium, is as spectacular as that of the alexandrite. These garnets “Bekily” are highly desirable for two reasons: they are blue garnets, a rarity, and their color change is as dramatic as for alexandrite.
The umbalite is the name of a variety that ranges between almandine and pyrope.