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Garnet has been used as a gemstone for so long that it has been accumulated a great many names. As well, Garnet has also
been sold as other gemstones. Sometimes such practice obviously has been deceptive. Other times it is the result of hasty
or ill-informed identification.
* Alabandine Ruby - Originally Almandite Garnet from Ancient Alabanda, Asia Minor. Now sometimes applied to violetish-red
spinel.
* Adelaide Ruby - A blood red pyrope garnet from South Africa.
* Almond Stone - Almandite Garnet.
* Arizona Ruby - A deep red pyrope garnet from Arizona and Utah.
* Beryl - not garnet
* Brown Zircon - not garnet
* California Ruby
* Carbuncle - A name used in the Dark and Middle Ages for any red gemstone cut en cabochon. Gemologically confined
to red garnet.
* Ceylon Hyacinth - Hessonite garnet.
* Ceyton Ruby - An incorrect name for almandite garnet
* Citrine - not garnet
* Colorado Ruby -A pyrope garnet
* Chrysoberyl - not garnet
* Emerald - not garnet
* False Hyacinth - Hessonite garnet
* Fashoda Ruby - an iron rich pyrope garnet from Tanzania.
* Garnet jade - a name given to several varrieties of so-called Transvaal Jade and also given to the translucent
to semi-translucent green garnet that is sometimes emerald green in hue and which closely approaches jadeite in appearance.
A small deposit was found in Oregon around 1930.
* Idocrase - not garnet
* Jadeite - not garnet
* Kandy Spinel -Almandite from Sri Lanka
* Nephrite - not garnet
* Olivine - An unfortunate term for Demantoid Garnet. Olivine is the mineralogist's term for peridot. Olive green
hardly describes the beauty of demantoid green.
* Peridot - not garnet
* Plum Sapphire - not garnet
* Rock Ruby - Red Pyrope Garnet
* Rocky Mountain Ruby
* Rose Garnet - Rhodolite Garnet
* Ruby, especially the dark, Siam grade - not garnet
* Sapphire - not garnet
* Spinel - not garnet
* South African Jade - The same as Transvaal Jade
* Sphene - not garnet
* Topaz - not garnet
* Tourmaline - not garnet
* Transvaal Jade - a compact, fine-grained translucent Grossularite garnet from near Pretoria, Transvaal,South
Africa. it often contains attractive black inclusions of chromate.
Special note: The most common type of doublet made to imitate a faceted gemstone is one fashioned with a very thin top
of red garnet and a glass base, It is fashioned in every color with which glass is made and could be sold as diamond, emerald,
almost any type of gemstone. The garnet takes on the color of glass.
NOT ALL GARNETS ARE GARNETS AND OTHER CONFUSIONS
* Adamantine Spar - A silky brown corundum.
* Almandite - Sometimes a purple variety of spinel; correctly, almandite spinel
* Almandite Sapphire - a reddish purple sapphire, sometimes known as ruby sapphire.
* Diamonaire - a commercial name for YAG (see below)
* GGG (Gadolinium Gallium Garnet) a synthetic garnet
* Glass - a non gem passed off for many species of gemstone.
* Green Garnet - Might be enstatite.
* Green Zircon - Might be confused with Demantoid Garnet.
* Hessonite Glass - an orange colored glass with properties near to
those of garnet.
* Jacinth - a greenish brown zircon confused with Demantoid.
* Oriental Almandite - a purple red Sapphire
* Pyramidal Garnet - Idocrase
* Sphene - Sometimes confused with Demantoid Andradite Garnet.
* Spinel -sometimes confused with a variety of garnet species.
* Synthetic Corundum - may present a number of garnet-like colors.
* YAG - an artificial gemstone material with an unattractive name.
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